Before the Darkness
by Bookaholic1871
Summary: The gods are in trouble. The Dark Wizard, Voldemort, won the war against Harry Potter and has come after the gods. In a desperate attempt to prevent the oncoming war, the gods send a demigod back in time to save them. The only problem? He doesn't remember his past. He must stop the war before it ever begins. If he fails, Voldemort might just become a god himself.
1. Prologe

**Prologue:**

Olympus (present):

The 12 Olympians sat on their thrones, waiting to see why they were called together on such a short notice. While the gods waited for their 'special guest' they kept to themselves.

Aphrodite was on her throne, applying makeup and looking at her reflection. Hermes was having a conversation with his snakes, George and Martha. Athena was arguing with Poseidon, again. Ares was sharpening a spear while staring at Aphrodite. Hera was arguing with Zeus. Hephaestus was building some trinket of his while glaring at Ares. Dionysus was making vines grow around his throne while reading a wine magazine. Apollo was listening to music on his iPod, bobbing his head in time with the music while Artemis was shouting at him. And Demeter was eating cereal. Hades was also there, as he was requested to come for some unknown reason. He just sat in the corner watching his messed up family and trying to ignore Demeter as she told him to eat more cereal and yelled at him for holding her daughter 'captive'.

They were interrupted when a young woman, around twenty, came through the doors to the throne room. She had long wavy brown hair, glowing green eyes and was rather thin. She wore emerald green robes and held a stick in her hand. One by one, all the gods turned to her.

"Lady Hecate, if I may ask, was it you that requested this, ah, meeting?" Poseidon asked the new comer.

Hecate nodded. "Yes, and I have come for your help. As you are all aware, I have my own little 'pet world' full of witches and wizards. A few years back there was a war against a dark wizard named Voldemort. Apollo are you listing?" Apollo kept bobbing his head to the music.

Artemis ripped the ear phones out of his ears. "Are you even listening?!" She yelled.

Apollo looked at Hecate. "Yeah, yeah, dark wizard, war, quest. As the god of prophesies I know how this is going to turn out. Now can I please go back to my music?" Without waiting for a response he put the ear buds back into place. Hecate snapped her fingers and the iPod turned into a snake. Apollo shrieked and threw the snake off his lap. "Are you crazy?!" He yelled at the goddess of magic. She ignored him.

"Now, as I was saying, there was a dark wizard who went around killing not only witches and wizards, but Muggles, or mortals without magic, as well. Every witch and wizard feared him. One night, he went to kill a very special boy named Harry Potter. He killed the young child's parents with a flick of his wand but couldn't kill baby Harry. This is because his mother died for him, therefore, no one could harm him until he was 17-"

"Yeah, that's a lovely story Hecate, but when do we get to the war?" Ares asked.

"Soon. Now, Voldemort planed his revenge for 10 years until he got the chance to attack the boy. However, he was weak and only frightened him. Years ago, he came back. In 1998, there was a war. Sadly, my faithful wizards lost. Voldemort managed to kill Harry and is now ruler of the wizarding world."

"Well that stinks for them and all but how does this involve us?" Dionysus asked, bored, from his throne.

"It involves us because he is sending an army to the two camps. He will then come for us."

"No big deal. We can handle this guy! We'll squash him like a bug!" Ares yelled.

"Usually yes, we could. But this wizard is very powerful. He can kill the demigods with a wave of his hand, control them and make them do whatever he wants for however long he wants, and can torture them, and us might I add, until driven mad. We need to stop this before it even begins."

"And how might we do that?" Hades asked grimly.

"Easy, we will send a powerful demigod back in time to help them with the war." Hecate replied.

"And who will we send?" Zeus asked dully, as though he had more important things to do then discus the fate of the whole world.

"We need to send someone powerful, someone who can take down half an army with a wave of their hand. AND someone who won't be missed."

Hades paled. "You don't mean..."

Hecate nodded. "Yes. Him."

Poseidon sat foreword, a worried expression on his face. "Are you sure we should send him? Why not Jason or Hazel?"

Hecate shook her head. "No, it needs to be him."

Hades swallowed. "How long will he be gone?" Hades asked.

"I'm thinking of having him be the same age as Harry. I considered sending him right before the war but if we do that they will think he is a spy and won't accept his help. I came to one conclusion: he needs to grow up with Harry Potter."

Hades paled even more. "How old will he be?"

"He will be around 5 when they meet."

Hades nodded. "When will he come back?"

"When he is 18."

"WHAT?!" Hades yelled. He jumped out of his guest throne. "You expect him to be gone that long?! His childhood is messed up enough as it is! Plus, they just finished the Titan War! I understand he doesn't have much of a childhood now but by the time he comes back it will be gone!"

Hecate sighed. "There is no other way Lord Hades. And I thought you didn't care about him?" Hades didn't say anything. Hecate continued.

"Here's the plan: we send him back in time, to 1985, and leave him at the Dursley's. I will convince them to take him in. He will become very close to young Harry, his only friend until he is 11. They will go to Hogwarts together and will go through everything together. They will be like brothers. When the war comes, they will be ready."

"What if he knows who he is? He will not do it." Athena pointed out.

"You are correct. Therefore, we will wipe his memory. He will think his parents died when he was young and that he ran away from a foster home or something. I will also bless him with magic so he will blend in. And don't worry Hades, only a few months will pass here, four exactly, while he is there. When he returns, he will be the same, just with more knowledge." Hecate reassured. Hades nodded.

"Fine. Can I at least contact him from time to time?"

Hecate nodded. "You may give him advice on how to control his powers and how to deal with hard decisions. Lady Athena, you may also help him in times of need."

"When does he leave?" Hades asked.

Hecate smiled. "Now."


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Strange Boy**

**1985, Privet Drive:**

A small five year old boy lay in the wet grass, asleep. He opened his dark eyes and gasped. _Where am I? _He wondered. He stood up and looked around. It was raining hard. His torn white shirt and ripped jeans were soaked. His dark hair stuck to his face. He looked around and saw a sign. It said something like 'ivPetr ireDv'. Stupid dyslexia. The five year old squinted at the sign for a while, trying to decode it. "Privet Drive..." He muttered. What was he doing here? Where was he? Then the boy realized something else he did not know. _Who-who am I?_ He wondered. He stood there for a minute, trying to remember something from his past. To his shock and dispare, he could not remember anything aside from his name.

_Be calm little hero._ The boy jumped at the strange voice he heard. _Go to Number Four Privet Drive. There all will be taken care of._

"Who are you?" The little boy asked. The strange woman chuckled inside his mind.

_I am a friend, here to help in times of need. Now, go to number four. You will meet a very... strange family there. They will take care of you till the time comes. _The five year old walked up to Number Four Privet Drive.

The child fingered a ring on his forefinger and knocked on the door. He stood there, trembling. The small boy rubbed his arms in hope of warming up. It didn't work. He heard thumping as someone came down the stairs. "Vernon! Are you expecting any visitors tonight?" The muffled voice of a woman called out.

"No Petunia dear." Was the reply. Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a woman with blonde hair and a long neck.

She looked down at the child and gasped. "What are you doing here?" She asked him in a cold voice.

The boy shook from the cold. "I-I was w-wondering if I could s-stay with you for awhile..." His teeth chattered from the cold.

Petunia looked at the small boy. She wouldn't usually help a stranger, much less a child who appeared on her doorstep one night. Other then that-that 'special' case. _Let the boy stay. _A voice spoke in her mind. Petunia knew she should be alarmed, the voice didn't belong to her. But it was so kind, she would do anything to please it.

She smiled at the boy. "Of course, you can stay with us as long as you want." She said in a much kinder voice. The young boy smiled gratefully and stepped inside the warm house. The woman rushed to the kitchen as the child closed the door behind him. She returned with a towel and rapped it around the boy's small body.

"Th-thank you ma'am." He said.

Petunia smiled at him. "Of corse dear. What's your name?"

The boy looked at her with dark brown eyes. "Nico di Angelo."

**Ok so I have gotten a few complaints about how Nico will be missed and stuff so I'm going to explain what I meant here.**

**I do know that both Percy and Hazel and quite a few others care about him. However, Nico often disappears for long periods of time before coming back. What I meant by "He won't be missed" is that he has disappeared so often that they won't think anything about it because he spends more time away from the camps then he does at the camps. I hope that clears it up.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Where am I?**

In a few minutes, Nico found himself in the Dursly's kitchen wearing large but dry clothes while his were in the dryer. He had a warm blanket around him and hot chocolate. Mrs. Dursley sat across from him. After Nico stopped drinking his hot chocolate, Mrs. Dursley asked him about his family. "Where are your parents?"

Nico set down his cocoa. "I don't remember my life before tonight. I tried and the only thing I could remember was my name. I don't think I have a family." He muttered looking into his cup.

"What were their names? Maybe we can look for them." Mrs. Dursley asked softly.

Nico looked up. "I don't know." He whispered.

"Where do you live?"

Nico shrugged. "I don't know. All I remember is what I just told you. I just woke up on your lawn. Where am I exactly?"

"You're in London." Mrs. Dursley replied.

Nico nodded and fingered a skull ring nervously. He was about to reply when the kitchen door opened. A boy around the same age as Nico stood in the door way. He had shaggy black hair and green eyes and glasses. He was very thin and his baggy clothes had some holes in them. There was a sharp pain behind Nico's eyes. He seemed familiar. Either that or he looked like someone Nico knew...

"Aunt Petunia, I heard a knock on the door and...who are you?" The boy turned to Nico.

_Be nice to this boy. You will need each other in the years to come. _It was the same voice as before.

Nico smiled at the boy. "I'm Nico di Angelo. Who are you?"

"I'm Harry Potter." The boy, Harry, said nervously.

"You see, Harry, Nico is going to stay with us for a while. Nico will be in the extra bedroom. After you show him where he will stay, go to your closet." Mrs. Dursley said harshly.

Nico followed Harry up the stairs. "So is she your aunt?" Nico asked Harry. Harry nodded. "Where are your parents?"

"They died in a car crash when I was one." Harry mumbled.

Nico nodded. "I think my parents are dead too. I don't remember them." Harry looked away. Nico fingered his ring again. Harry saw him playing with it.

"Where did you get that?" He asked, pointing to Nico's ring.

Nico looked at the skull. "It was a gift from my father." Nico felt a sharp pain behind his eyes. Harry saw him wince.

"Are you ok?" Harry asked. Nico nodded, lost in his thoughts.

_How did I know it was from Dad?_ He wondered.

They continued on in silence for a while."So," Nico tried to make conversation. "They make you live in a closet?" Harry nodded.

"They never wanted me. I just showed up." Nico looked at Harry sadly. "We're here. This is your room. Well, I'll see you in the morning." Harry turned to leave.

"Wait." Harry turned around. "Why don't you stay with me? No one should live in a closet." Harry smiled at him and nodded. "Come on."

That night, Harry told Nico about his time at the Dursley's. Nico told him he had no memory but that he had a feeling he wasn't liked where he came from. They went to sleep that night not knowing that they would grow up together.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Dudley's Birthday**

The Durlsey's (5 years later):

For the first month, the Dursley's treated Nico well. The fed him enough, gave him his own room and even bought him new clothes. Nico secretly gave some of his clothes to Harry. The mysterious voice convinced the Durlsey's to let Nico stay. However, after the voice disappeared, they started mistreating Nico as well. Nico soon moved into the cupboard under the stairs with Harry. Nico and Harry shared Dudley's old clothes and did the chores together. Nico would get the darker clothes and Harry would get the light colors.

Dudley tried to bully Nico as well as Harry but after his first attempt, all the shadows crept towards Nico and Dudley. After that experience, Dudley left him alone. He still bullied Harry but much less then before. As the years passed, Nico and Harry became very close. After all, no one was friends with them other then each other. No one liked Harry in fear that Dudley would hurt them and no one liked Nico because he scared them. Over the years, Nico grew cold. Harry was the only one who he enjoyed to be around and who enjoyed his company.

Nico still couldn't remember about his life before the Dursley's but would get a pain behind his eyes whenever something related to his past came up. They seemed random and seemed to have nothing to do with each other. Some examples were, the colors orange and purple (although he hated the colors), mentions of a war, and a few names. Bianca, Connor, and Jason were a few. It was worse when they learned about Greek gods in school. He was sent to the office almost every day because of his headaches. It was even worse when they learned about Perseus. It felt like his head was splitting open.

However, after the headache went away, he managed to remember something about his past. He remembered a tall, tan, musclier teenager with messy black hair and sea green eyes. He was holding something long in his hands. A baseball bat maybe? After five years, that was the only memory he had about his past. He did have strange dreams though. One had a man with dark eyes, pale skin, and black hair. He looked a lot like Nico except he was much older and was 20 feet tall. The man had a crown on his head and sat on a throne made of bones. He wore a robe that seemed to have human souls woven into it.

Nico was used to a dull life. Wake up Harry, make breakfast, get dressed, go to school, come home, do homework, make dinner and go to bed. Little did he know how much things would change on his best (and only) friends 11th birthday. It started on Dudley's birthday...

Thump thump thump! "Get up!" Thump thump. A few spiders fell. The sharp pain returned. Nico was pretty sure he knew someone who hated spiders. "Get up and make breakfast! I want everything perfect for my Dudley's special day!"

It was Harry's aunt. After a few months of living with the Dursley's, Nico started making fun of them. He often called Mrs. Dursley a horse, Mr. Dursley a whale, and Dudley a pig. Mr. Dursley told Nico to start referring to them as 'aunt' and 'uncle' to solve the problem. When Nico heard this he laughed and shared some very colorful words with them. He was locked in the closet for three days as a result. Nico would sneak food for Harry and himself often. He found he was very good at sneaking around. The shadows seemed to make him blend in and he could breathe so quietly no one would know he was there unless they were about to step on him.

He was driven out of his thoughts by some more thumping. "Get up!" 'Aunt' Petunia yelled.

Nico groaned. "I'm up!"

"Good. Now wake up the other one." She spat. Aunt Petunia walked away to wake up Dudley.

Nico got off the floor and nudged Harry. "Harry, it's time to get up. It's the pigs birthday."

Harry groaned. "Can't he make his own breakfast?" He mumbled. Nico snickered.

"I think his hands are to fat to grab the 'required instruments.'"

Harry chuckled. "And he's to stupid to know the difference between eggs and bacon."

Nico laughed. "Come on. Lets get dressed. I'm looking forward to giving pig face my present." Harry, although confused, nodded. They got dressed as fast as they could and walked out of the cupboard.

Harry and Nico walked into the kitchen. Nico cursing the Dursley's the whole way. He never was a morning person. They walked in to find the table was overflowing with presents. Nico could tell Dudley had gotten the new TV he wanted. Nico and Harry started making breakfast. Harry was making eggs and bacon while Nico made toast and waffles.

Aunt Petunia came through, her hands covering Dudley's eyes. Dudley was plump like his father and had a pink face and a mop of blonde hair on his head. "All right Duddiekins! And, look!" She uncovered Dudley's eyes. He stood, staring at them.

"How many are there?!" He yelled.

Uncle Vernon put down his newspaper. He was also very plump and red in the face. He had blonde hair on his head and a mustache that covered half his face. He smiled at his son. "36. I counted them my self." Nico put butter and jam on some toast, watching in amusement. He helped Harry give out breakfast before splitting two eggs, a small pice of bacon, a burned pice of toast and a soggy waffle with Harry. They sat at the table watching Dudley grow red in the face.

"36?! That's one less then last year!" Nico rolled his eyes while he and Harry ate as fast as they could. They could feel a tantrum coming on.

Aunt Petunia must have felt it to because she had a panicked look in her eyes. "But Duddie! Look! This one from Mummy and Daddy is very big!" Aunt Petunia pointed to what Nico supposed was a new tv.

"I don't care how big it is! It's still less then last year!"

Nico knew that before long, 'Duddie' would flip the table. He shared a look with Harry. "Retreat!" He mouthed to Harry. Harry nodded and picked up the plates and silverware and started doing the dishes as fast as they could.

"Tell you what pumpkin! Why don't we buy you two more presents at the zoo! How does that sound?" Aunt Petunia said, desperate.

Dudley paused. "Then I would have... Thirty, thirty..." He thought while his small brain tried to do the simple math.

"38 son. Wants to get his money's worth like his father." Uncle Vernon chuckled. "Little tyke."

Harry and Nico finished the dishes while Dudley opened his first few presents. Nico and Harry sat next to each other while Dudley opened his gifts. Nico fingered his skull ring, like he always did when he was nervous. Harry wondered what had Nico on edge. Nico turned to Harry and mouthed "Watch this."

Nico stood up and walked over to Dudley and taped him on the shoulder. When Dudley saw who it was, he jumped back in fear. "I managed to save up enough money to get something for you Dudley. Happy Birthday." Nico handed Dudley a small black box with a blood red bow neatly tied on top. Dudley's eyes widened at the thought of a new present. Nico took his seat next to Harry.

"Why did you do that?" Harry whispered to his friend.

Nico turned to Harry. "You'll see." He smiled, his dark eyes gleaming. Harry thought he almost looked evil the way the shadows flickered across his face while he grinned like a mad man. Harry could see why people were scared of him.

Nico and Harry watched as Dudley struggled to get his box open. Harry was at the edge of his seat, waiting to see what was in the box. Dudley smiled triumphantly as the bow fell away. He yanked the top off the small box. A dark figure emerged from the box and landed right next to Dudley. The birthday boy screamed and fell off his chair, trying to get away from the dark shape. It morphed into the figure of a human boy, no older then 11. Nico laughed as the shadow chased after Dudley, his parents following close behind. Harry had to put his hand over his mouth to keep him from laughing. Harry looked at Nico only to realize something he hadn't noticed before. Nico had no shadow.

Harry was about to ask Nico how he put his shadow in a box when he heard his cousin scream. The boys rushed into the family room to find that Nico's shadow had caught Dudley and his parents were trying to get it off of him. Nico snapped his fingers and the shadow flew back to him. Dudley was shaking with fear and Mr. Dursley was panting from running around the house.

"You," he pointed at Nico, "cupboard. Now." Nico smiled and walked back to the closet in which he and Harry slept, wiping the tears of joy from his face. Harry tried to follow but his uncle caught him. Harry was forced to finish all the chores himself. Whenever he tried to get to Nico, his aunt or uncle would give him more chores. Dudley was siting in the corner, shaking from fear, presents forgotten. Dudley's friend was supposed to come over to go to the zoo that day but was rescheduled to four days later.

Harry was worried about Nico. After he first moved in, the Dursley's noticed he was having problems reading and concentrating. When they took him to the doctor, he told them Nico had ADHD and dyslexia. Nico wasn't fond of small spaces ether. Harry was worried his friend was having a panic attack in the closet. After Harry was finally done with the chores, he joined is friend in the closet under the stairs.

Nico was siting on the bed, staring at the shadows. Harry sat down next to him. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Harry asked the question that had been on his mind all day. "How did you do that thing with your shadow?"

Nico fingered his ring again and shrugged. "A while ago I had a dream about this man. He was huge and sat on a throne of some kind. He looked like an older version of me. He said he was watching me and that he was proud of me. He told me that he knew that I was being mistreated and wished he could help but was forbidden. He told me that I was special and had many 'abilities.'" Nico made air quotes. "He said they would be hard to control but that he believed in me. He also showed me how to box a shadow and suggested I use it as revenge on Dudley. Whenever I was alone, I would practice."

Harry nodded. "You know, even though that was awesome, you know you won't be fed for a while right?"

Nico nodded. "Yeah, I figured, but I can always sneak some." Harry smiled at his friend. They talked for the rest of the day.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: The Vanishing Glass**

Four days after the shadow incident, Dudley and his friend were going to the zoo. Sure enough, Nico was stuck in the closet. Harry tried to keep him company but the Dursley's were doing their best to keep them apart. On the day of the zoo, Nico was finally allowed out of the cupboard under the stairs. Nico and Harry were cleaning up the living room and they overheard Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon arguing.

"Vernon, what are we going to do? Ms. Figg broke her leg and can't take them!" Mr. Dursley looked at Nico and Harry as if they planed this. "What about your sister Vernon?"

Uncle Vernon shook his head. "She's on a cruise. What about your friend? What's her name, Yvonne?"

Aunt Petunia shook her head. "Sick. Can't you just leave them in the car?"

"No, it's a new car! They aren't going to mess it up."

"You could just leave us here..." Harry offered.

Uncle Vernon looked like he was choking. Nico snickered. "No! I'm not going to leave you here to blow the house up!"

Harry looked disappointed. "But I won't blow up the house! I promise!" Uncle Vernon ignored Harry.

"Well," Petunia began slowly, "they could come with us to the zoo."

Dudley looked panicked. "No! They ruin everything!" Dudley started to cry. Nico groaned. Whenever Dudley pretended to cry he would get his way.

"Don't cry pumpkin! They won't ruin everything!" Dudley smirked in Harry's direction. There was a knock on the door. Dudley wiped away his fake tears and opened the door to reveal his friend. Nico didn't care enough to remember his name.

In a few minutes, they were ready to go to the zoo. Harry and Nico were excited. They had never been to the zoo before. When the duo were about to get in the car, Mr. Dursley pulled them aside. "Listen boys, if anything goes wrong on this trip, you won't come out of your closet until school starts. Understand?" Harry nodded while Nico just rolled his eyes. They all piled into the car. It wasn't big enough to fit all of them so Nico had to share a seat with Harry.

On the drive up, Uncle Vernon was complaining about something. His favorite topics were motorcycles, Harry, teenagers, Nico, traffic, Harry, Nico, technology, and of corse, Nico and Harry. Today, he was complaining about motorcycles.

"Noisy pointless machines those are." He muttered as a motorcycle drove past. "Only hooligans would be interested in such a thing."

Harry looked up at the mention of motorcycles. "I had a dream about a motorcycle. It was flying." Nico groaned inwardly.

Uncle Vernon slammed on the brakes. "Motorcycles. Can't. Fly." He said angrily.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I know that! It was just a dream." Nico groaned out loud. Uncle Vernon looked like he was about to explode. Harry, of all people, should know that Uncle Vernon didn't approve of imagination. Nico just tuned out all of Uncle Vernon's shouting about motorcycles and imagination.

When they got to the zoo, Dudley and his friend wanted ice cream. The Dursley's tried to get Harry and Nico away before the man in the ice cream truck could give them ice cream but failed. Harry and Nico found themselves with one lemon ice pop each. Harry was enjoying his but it was a little too sweet for Nico.

They walked around the zoo as they ate their ice cream. On their way to the reptile house, they passed a gorilla which Harry pointed out to Nico looked like Dudley. It took all of Nico's willpower not to burst out laughing.

In the reptile house, Dudley found the largest snake easily. It was big enough to wrap itself around Mr. Dursley's car several times and it was asleep. Dudley thumped on the glass. "Move!" Thump thump thump! Dudley turned to his walrus of a father. "Make it move!" He wined.

Uncle Vernon thumped on the glass as hard as he could. "Move you scaly rope!" He thumped some more.

Dudley sighed and turned away. "This is boring!" He and Uncle Vernon walked away.

Nico and Harry walked up to they glass. "Sorry about that. They don't know what it's like, being locked up and people always yelling at you. You and me are the same. Nico goes through the same thing too."

Nico looked at Harry like he was crazy. "You're talking to a snake."

Harry shrugged. "Other then you it's the only thing that listens to me." Nico shrugged in agreement. They turned back to the snake. It rose so that it was eye to eye with Harry.

Nico watched the snake and his best friend. The snake winked at them. Harry turned to Nico, his mouth forming a small 'O'. "Did you see..." Nico nodded. They looked around to make sure no one was watching then winked back. "Where are you from?" Harry asked the snake. It jabbed its tail in the direction of a sign.

After staring at it for a while, Nico could make out one word: Brazil. "Was it nice there?" Nico asked. He felt very stupid talking to a snake but, like Harry pointed out, they had nothing better to do. The snake pointed at the sign again. There was something written underneath the word Brazil but it was to small for Nico to read. "What does it say?" He whispered to Harry.

"Bread in captivity." He muttered. The boys turned back to the snake.

"That was me too. I never knew my parents." Harry said.

Nico nodded. "I have no memory of mine ether." Harry was about to say something when he was pushed to the ground. Nico ran over to him to help his only friend.

"M' fine." Harry wheezed. Nico crouched down next to his friend. Harry looked at Dudley angrily.

"Look what it's doing!" Dudley pressed his face against the glass, eyes wide with fascination. His friend joined him at the snake cage. Harry looked at his cousin with hate. Then, the strangest thing happened. Suddenly, the glass vanished. Dudley and his friend would have fallen in but, to Nico's dismay, they leaped back in surprise. Harry and Nico looked at the cage in shock. The snake slithered out, nipping at Dudley's heals playfully while slithering around his friend. Everyone screamed and jumped away from the large boa.

The large snake stopped in front of Harry and Nico, still siting on the floor. "Thankssssss Amegosss." It hissed in Nico's mind. It slithered away saying, "Brazil here I come." Harry and Nico stared after it in shock.

After a minute, Harry turned to Nico. "Did you hear what it said?" He asked Nico in a whisper. Nico nodded at his roommate.

The drive home was horrible. Dudley said it nearly bit his whole leg off while his buddy was saying it tried to strangle him. Nico rolled his eyes. They're being so dramatic. He thought. When they got home, Dudley's friend pointed out something both Nico and Harry wished would go unnoticed. "Hey! Harry and Nico were talking to it before it attacked!"

After saying goodbye to Dudley's friend, Aunt Petunia and Dudley rushed inside. Uncle Vernon grabbed Harry by his hair and dragged him inside. "You, follow." He ordered Nico. Fuming, Nico followed the Dursley's and Harry inside. When he got there, Mr. Dursley was holding Harry against the wall, still holding him by his hair.

"What did you do to the glass?" Uncle Vernon asked through his teeth.

"I don't know! I swear! It was there one minute gone the next! Like magic!" That wasn't the right thing for Harry to say. Uncle Vernon looked like he wanted to rip Harry's hair out. Nico clenched and unclenched his fists. Anger boiled up inside of him.

"Hey! It wasn't Harry's fault! Even if he did do it, it was an accident!" Nico yelled. Harry smiled gratefully at his friend but then winced in pain as his uncles grip tightened on him.

"Stay out of this boy!" Vernon spat at Nico.

He couldn't stand it any more, this monster treating his best friend like this. The room seemed to darken and the shadows seemed to dance along the walls. The temperature dropped. The look in Nico's dark eyes was more then angry, it was murderous. Small black flames seemed to dance through his hair and fingers as he slowly walked to Mr. Dursley. With each step he took the earth seemed to shake a little. Vernon trembled with fear as he released his grip on Harry. Harry's eyes widened at the sight of his only friend. He looked, almost, evil. Nico was no longer the antisocial 11 year old Harry knew. He now looked much older, around twenty, and seemed to radiate death. Harry resized that his friend was not aware of the actions he was causing. He was blinded by anger. Harry noticed that if he didn't do something soon, Nico could really hurt someone, including himself.

Harry put a hand on his friends shoulder. Nico turned to him, his dark eyes seemed to have small, dark, flames in them. Harry was shocked by what he saw in his friends eyes. He saw fear, anger, suffering, pain, sadness, and, most of all, a longing to be accepted. For the first time in a long time, Harry wondered what his friend had been through before they met. If he lost the memories of his life before Privet Drive for a good reason.

Harry swallowed nervously. "Nico, calm down. I'm ok. It's going to be alright." Harry spoke calm, comforting words to his childhood friend. The black flames in Nico's hand died away. The shadows went back to their normal position as the son of Hades calmed down. The air around them warmed and the fire in Nico's eyes died away, forgotten. However, the pain and suffering remained. Harry smiled reassuringly to his friend. Nico returned a weak smile before collapsing from weariness. Harry caught his friend and helped him to the small cupboard in which they lived. Harry set Nico down on the bed and he soon fell asleep. Harry put the thin covers on his friend for he had noticed something that troubled him. Nico's skin was as cold as ice. Harry sat on the floor watching the steady rhythm of Nico's breathing. He barley noticed his uncle shouting, telling him that they won't have any meals for a few months except for the food scraps.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Letters from No One and Strange Dreams**

A few months after the trip to the zoo, Nico and Harry were eating breakfast. They heard the mail come in and, still reading his newspaper, Mr. Dursley told his son to get the mail. "Make Harry get it." Dudley wined.

"Harry get the mail."

"Make Dudley get it." Vernon glared at Harry. He sighed in defeat. "Come on Nico." Nico and Harry got up and went to get the mail.

"Why did I need to come?" Nico complained. Harry shrugged. Harry picked up the letters. Bill, bill, postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister and- "What's that?" Nico pointed to two thick letters.

"I don't know. Here, this one is for you." Harry handed Nico a letter. It was heavy for a letter and had cursive writing on it in green.

"Um, Harry, what does it say?"

Harry looked over Nico's shoulder. "To Mr. N di Angelo, Number Four Privet Drive Little Whinging Surrey, the Cupboard Under the Stairs..."

Harry and Nico shared a look. Harry looked down at his letter. "Mine says the same thing. Do you think someone is stalking us?" Nico shrugged and looked at his letter. He flipped it over and nudged the Boy Who Lived.

"Hey, Harry, look at this seal. A snake, an eagle, a lion and a badger surrounded by the letter 'H'. Weird."

"What is taking so long?!" Uncle Vernon called from the kitchen. "Does it really take five minutes to get the mail?" Harry walked towards the kitchen with Nico close behind. They handed Uncle Vernon his letters and sat back down in their seats.

"Bill, bill, ah, to bad. Marge is sick. Food poisoning." Harry and Nico started to pull the seals off of their letters.

"Dad!" Dudley wined. "Harry and Nico have something." Nico broke the seal of his letter and pulled out a thick letter and unfolded it to read. Uncle Vernon saw it and paled.

"No!" He yelled. He leaped at Nico and wrestled it from his hands. Aunt Petunia snatched away Harry's letter, the seal half off.

"Who would ever write to you?" Petunia smirked. She read the letter and paled.

"Vernon!" She chocked out. She looked as though she had just swallowed a lemon whole. "Oh Vernon!" She started hyperventilating.

"Now now dear, calm down. It's going to be ok." He sounded like he was trying to reassure himself.

"I want to read my letter!" Harry yelled.

"Give me my letter!" Nico yelled. Uncle Vernon paled.

"Out! NOW!" He yelled. Harry and Nico rushed out, figuring they could sneak the letters back later.

"But daddy!" Dudley whined. "I want to read the letters!" He made a grab for them.

"Out Dudley or no TV for a month!" Dudley started to cry. "NOW!" His father yelled. Shocked that crying hadn't changed anything, Dudley left. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon locked the door.

Dudley, Nico and Harry fought over who would get the key hole. Dudley took out Harry easily but Nico was stronger then he looked. Plus, the coldness of his skin seemed to shock Dudley. However, Dudley ended up with the key hole while Nico and Harry were stuck on the floor. Nico could see Mr. Dursley pacing while he talked to his wife.

"Oh Vernon! What are we going to do! We knew my sister would have one but I never would have guessed the little brat was one too!" Harry felt the air around him grow cold. He placed a hand on Nico's cold shoulder. Nico turned to Harry with a confused look. Harry smiled weakly at his friend then turned back to the conversation. "Should we send them a letter? Saying that we aren't interested?" Aunt Petunia wondered out loud. Uncle Vernon stopped pacing.

"These people don't think like you and I dear. Maybe they will stop if they don't get their reply?"

Petunia sighed. "I hope so Vernon."

Uncle Vernon unlocked the door. The three boys hurried back, trying to make it look like they were there the whole time. Uncle Vernon turned to the two boys with baggy clothes. He put on a big fake smile. "Well boys, you sure are growing. Isn't that cupboard getting kind of small? Why don't you move into the extra bedroom?" Nico snickered as Mr. Dursley managed to chock out the words.

Harry pouted. "I. Want. My. Letter." He said. Nico nodded in agreement.

"Ah, you see, um, that was a misunderstanding. It wasn't really addressed to you."

Nico grew angry. "A misunderstanding?! It had our cupboard on it!"

"You aren't getting those blasted letters!" Vernon shouted.

"Why not?" Harry yelled.

Uncle Vernon smiled evilly. "I burned them." Nico couldn't stand it anymore. He was tired of people thinking he was scary and running away before they got to know him. He was tired of being misunderstood. And, most of all, he was tired of being abused by the Dursleys. With that thought in mind, Nico lunged at Mr. Dursley.

Nico managed to tackle Vernon to the ground. Harry watched in awe as Nico wrestled Uncle Vernon. After a few moments, Harry came back to his senses. He lunged into the fight as he tried to drag Nico off his uncle. After about ten minutes, Harry managed to separate to two. Nico was scraped up from the fight but Uncle Vernon wasn't it good shape either. Nico was surprisingly strong even though he was small for his age. "Cupboard, I mean, bedroom, now." Uncle Vernon managed to choke out.

Harry dragged Nico to the cupboard, leaving Vernon gasping for air. He probably never got any exercise before in his life. Nico smirked at the thought.

After they brought their things to the bedroom, which only took one trip, the two boys looked around at their new room. Dudley's broken toys were all over the dressers and floor. Nico saw a TV which Dudley put his foot through when his favorite show was canceled. He also saw an empty bird cage. Nico managed to remember that Dudley got a pet bird but later traded it for an air rifle or something. Said toy lay dented on one of the dressers. It was squished after Dudley sat on it.

"Home sweet home." Harry muttered as he started cleaning up a space for his things. Nico did the same, both deep in thought as they cleaned the small room. Harry would rather have his letter and be stuck in his cupboard then in this room without it. Little did he know Nico was thinking the same thing.

Nico heard shouting downstairs and motioned for Harry to follow him as he pressed his ear to the door.

"But I don't want them in there!" Dudley's muffled voice traveled up the stairs. "I NEED that room!"

"I'm sorry Duddie but they will stay!" Nico heard faint whimpering. Harry rolled his eyes at his cousins lame attempt to change his mothers mind. "No Dudley, they are staying and that is final." There was shocked silence as Dudley thought about what had just happened. Nico could just picture Dudley's shocked face. Crying always worked and now twice in one day it had failed him. Nico smiled evilly at the thought.

Harry sighed and pulled away from the door. There wasn't much to hear anymore. Nico looked around the room. "Come on, if we are going to live here we might as well make it decent." Harry nodded. They spent the rest of the day cleaning up their new room. After they set the table, made dinner, ate leftovers and cleaned up the dishes, the two boys collapsed on their new beds. They agreed that Harry would get the bed while Nico slept on the floor, like it had been before.

Harry fell asleep easily, dreaming about flying motorcycles again while Nico stared, wide awake. He thought about all the things that seemed to remind him of his life before the Dursley's. He listed them off in his head. Orange and purple, Rome, Greece, the ocean, a few names, and the story of Perseus. He also thought about the faint memory of the teenage boy. Who is he? Nico wondered. What was he holding? Nico also found it strange how darkness made him feel safe while most children where scared of the dark.

Nico was drifting off to sleep when he rememberd something from when he first arrived. When he first saw Harry there was a pain behind his eyes. He also remembered that Harry asked him where he got his skull ring. "From my dad." He had said. Was it really from his father or was it just a false hope? Nico drifted off to sleep imagining, yet again, what the life he left was like.

Nico stood in a dark room. He seemed to be in a castle. Nico noticed everything was black. He thought he saw some smudges on the walls but when he looked closer he noticed they were pictures. They were images of pain and death. Nico knew that this would have bothered most people but for some reason it didn't bother him at all.

He looked outside. One area had screams coming from it and had some horrible things in it. In the distance, he saw the small figure of a man pushing a bolder up a hill. A different area looked like a plain field. It had people in cloaks wondering around. A few would try to talk to each other but would give up when they made what sounded a lot like a screeching bat. The last area was beautiful. It had houses and what looked like a park in it. You could hear laughter coming from it but the sound was drowned out by the screams around.

Two people in cloaks glided past the castle and saw Nico. They bowed and hurried away. Not people in cloaks, Nico realized, but spirits. I'm in the Underworld...

He felt a sudden pull down a strange hallway and decided to follow it. His legs seemed to move without his control. Nico tried to keep track of where he was going but it was impossible. Right, left, third on the right, middle, ninth on the left...

Nico stopped at two black doors. There were skeletons all around. They all bowed to him, like the spirits from before did. Nico then realized they all had weapons. From swords to spears to guns. One skeleton nocked on the black door. "Let him in." Called out a gruff voice. A few skeletons pushed open the doors. Nico walked in, his heart beating wildly inside his chest.

He stood before a man that looked a lot like Nico. He had the same dark hair, dark eyes and pale skin. The man wore robes that seemed to be made of souls. The man sat on a throne made out of bones. Nico didn't know how he knew but he somehow recognized them as human bones. There was another throne beside the man but it was empty. In the mans hand was a helmet that seemed to radiate power, as did the man.

Nico had a feeling that if he didn't bow he would become one of the spirits he saw just moments before. He got down on his knees and bowed his head, his heart beating furiously.

"You may rise, Nico." The man said coldly. Nico stood up and looked at the man before him. "It is good to see you again my son." Nico was shocked. This was his father? Nico kept on a strait face but inside, his mind was trying to process what the man before him had said. Was it possible this man was talking to someone else? No, Nico thought, it is only the two of us in here.

"I cannot talk for long my son, but I am here to give you a warning. Troubled times are ahead and everything will change. Protect that boy, Harry. He has a horrible fate. He will go through many difficulties before his job is done. He will need you, Nico, do not fail me like you have many times before." That's when everything fell into place. Skeletons, spirits, Fields of Punishment. The man before him, Nico's father, was none other then Hades, god of the Underworld. But, that made Nico...

Nico nodded. "I won't disappoint you father. If I may though, can I ask one question?" Nico asked nervously. Hades looked down at his son.

"You want to know when your memories will return am I right?" Nico nodded. "Not for a while. However, it seems you have discovered who and what you are. I am afraid it is not the right time for that. Therefore, when you wake up all you will remember is my warning. It is time for you to go my son, your friend is worried about you." Hades touched Nico on his forehead and the Underworld started to fade away. Nico struggled to remember who his father was.

Nico sat up in his 'bed'. "Good, your awake." Someone beside him said. Nico rubbed his eyes. He thought back to his dream. His father said things were going to change and something about Harry...

"You ok mate?" Said person asked.

Nico nodded. "Just thinking about a dream I had." Harry looked at Nico, trying to see if it was the truth. Harry gave Nico his clothes.

"Come on, we need to make breakfast." After Harry left, Nico got dressed and joined Harry in the kitchen. As they made breakfast, Harry wondered if there would be any more letters that day while Nico thought back to his dream. He had discovered something about his father but he couldn't remember what it was. Nico felt like he wanted to punch something. This was so annoying!

After a while, Nico gave up on trying to remember his dream. That's all it really was anyway. A dream. Nico had fallen asleep wondering about his past so he dreamt one up.

After the two were done cooking breakfast they sat down with what was left. They sat in silence until they heard the mail slot bang close.

Harry leapt up from his seat, his breakfast forgotten. "I'll get it!" Nico stood up to help when Uncle Vernon leapt to his feet and tackled Harry to the ground.

"No! Dudley! Go get the mail!" Dudley waddled out of the kitchen as Nico tried to help Harry get out from under his uncle.

"There are four! 'To Mr. H Potter and Mr. N di Angelo! The Smallest Bedroom, Number Four Privet Drive Little Whinging Surry! '" Dudley yelled from the front door.

Nico leapt up and ran to the front door. He pushed Dudley to the side as he ran to the letters. Almost there, he thought. Suddenly, he was tackled to the ground. "Your not getting away from me runt!" It was Uncle Vernon. Nico could barley breathe under the weight of Harry's uncle.

Nico reached for a letter. His fingers brushed one of the yellow envelopes. Just a little closer...

Vernon leapt off of the small boy. Nico dove for the letter and grabbed it. Before he could run to his room, Uncle Vernon grabbed the letter and shoved it into his pocket. Before Nico could grab another, Uncle Vernon grabbed Nico by his legs and dragged him into the kitchen. Dudley stared as he watched his father drag the pale boy into the kitchen.

Harry watched in shock as Uncle Vernon dragged in a screaming Nico. No matter what Nico did Vernon held on tight. Mr. Dursley pushed Nico onto a chair. Uncle Vernon's face was red and he was gasping for breath. "Don't. Move." He gasped. Uncle Vernon went into the hallway and came back with the letters. Nico glared at Vernon as he lit a fire. Nico starred at him with hate but stayed put in the chair, his arms crossed and staring daggers into Mr. Dursley. Harry saw the shadow of Nico's chair sway.

Uncle Vernon smiled coldly as he put the letters into the fire. Nico couldn't take it anymore. He stormed up to his room with Harry not far behind.

The next day, the two boys had a plan. They set their alarm for early in the morning. When they woke up, they quickly, but quietly, got dressed. They slowly opened the door to their room and crept down the stairs. The plan was to camp out in front of the door and wait for the mail.

Harry crept ahead. He stepped on something squishy. Harry let out a gasp when the thing grunted. Harry leapt back in surprise. It was Uncle Vernon.

It looked to Nico like Uncle Vernon was about to explode from anger when the mail slot opened. The mail landed right on Mr. Dursley's lap. Vernon smiled coldly as he ripped the letters into shreds.

The next day, the two boys woke up to the sound of a drill. When they looked downstairs they saw Uncle Vernon drilling the mail slot shut and, for good measure, the door. Nico watched as Vernon drilled the door shut while humming. "No more letters." He mumbled through the screws in his mouth.

The next day something strange happened. They were eating breakfast when a very confused milk man passed Aunt Petunia two egg cartons through the window. When they cracked open each egg, a letter fell out. There were a dozen addressed to either Mr. H Potter or Mr. N di Angelo.

The day after the whole egg situation, the strangest thing happened. Harry and Nico were serving the Dursley's breakfast again while Uncle Vernon was talking. "Sunday. The best day of the week in my opinion. Lovely day Sunday." Nico thought Vernon was loosing it. His hair stood up all over the place and his usually neat clothes were a mess. Hs face was red and his eyes were bloodshot.

"Do you know why, Harry, Sunday is such a wonderful day?" Asked Uncle Vernon. Then Nico realized why Uncle Vernon was so smug. Harry must have found out too because he looked down sadly.

"Because there's no post on Sunday?" He mumbled. Vernon smiled happily.

"No more letters!" Uncle Vernon said happily as he took a cookie from Nico. Suddenly, Nico heard a faint rumbling. That's odd, Nico thought, it sounds like, like its coming from the fireplace. Harry must have heard it too because he looked at the fireplace with confusion.

"Ha! No damn letters!" Uncle Vernon cheered on. Suddenly, a letter flew out of the fireplace and hit Vernon in the back of the head. The rumbling grew louder. The whole house was shaking now.

Nico backed up. Hundreds of letters flew out of the fireplace. Nico backed against the wall in surprise, staring open mouthed as the letters flew into the room. The Dursley's screamed. Dudley and Aunt Petunia ran out of the kitchen, covering their faces while Vernon tried to stop the letters. Harry dropped the tray he was holding in surprise.

Harry came to his senses first and leapt onto the table, trying to grab a letter. Nico stood in the center of the room, having wondering around in his shock. Harry managed to grab a letter and leapt off of the table. He grabbed another letter for Nico and shoved it into his hand. "Come on!" Nico came to his senses and ran after Harry.

"No!" Vernon yelled and he tackled them to the ground. This is happening way to often, Nico thought. He grabbed the letters out of their hands and grabbed them by their shirts and threw them into their room. "That's it! We're going away! We are leaving in five minutes!"

Harry and Nico quickly packed their clothes and some food Nico managed to steal at breakfast two minutes later.

Soon, they were in the car driving who knows where. They didn't eat all day and only stopped once at a strange store. Uncle Vernon came out with a long, thin package, but Nico was to hungry to care.

After a few minutes, they pulled in front of an old hotel. The three boys shared a room while Mr. and Mrs. Dursley got another room. Nico and Harry started to unpack. Dudley collapsed on his bed and started snoring. Nico and Harry munched on some of the food they brought but saved most of it for later.

The two friends decided that Harry would get the floor and Nico would get the other bed sense Nico was usually the one on the floor. Nico drifted off to a dreamless sleep while Harry wondered how he could get one of the letters. Eventually, he too fell asleep, dreaming about what the letters said.

The next morning there was a knock on the door. Nico sat up sleepily and stretched. He walked over to the door, waking Harry up along the way. Nico opened up the door and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. A lady stood at the door, holding something.

"Is there a Mr. H Potter or Mr. N di Angelo here?" The lady asked. "There are hundreds of these downstairs." He held up two letters. Nico didn't need to be a genius to know what they were. Nico was now wide awake. Harry stood by Nico reaching out for the letter with his name on it.

"No!" Uncle Vernon was suddenly in front of them once again. Nico sighed. He must have heard the knocking. Nico turned and left to get dressed and pack. He knew it was no use. Besides, now that the letters found them they would leave soon.

Harry soon joined him. They snacked on a pice of cold toast for breakfast before hopping into the car.

Vernon would drive around and occasionally turned around muttering, "Gotta shake em off... shake em off..." Every once and a while they would stop and Uncle Vernon would get out of the car then shake his head and they would drive away.

"Daddy's gone mad hasn't he?" Dudley muttered. Well, thought Nico, if someone as stupid as Dudley could figure it out than it must be true.

After a while, Vernon parked the car, got out, and locked the doors. He wondered off and Nico saw him talking to some old man. It started to rain shortly before Uncle Vernon came back.

"Found the perfect place." He pointed to a rock in the distance. On top of it was a very sad looking shack. "This kind man even let us borrow his boat." Nico paled at the mention of a boat. He didn't know why he was so scared to go on a boat, he never rode in one before. He just felt as though if he rode in one he would fall out and drown.

After Harry dragged Nico into the boat, they were off. It started to rain harder and wave after wave hit the small row boat as Nico held on for dear life, his knuckles white from holding on so tight. Nico's clothes stuck to his skin. He shivered from the cold and with fear. After what felt like hours, they made it to the shack.

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley had a room all to themselves and gathered blankets for Dudley as he slept on the couch. Nico and Harry were left to find the softest area of the floor and share a thin blanket with holes.

Dudley's snores were lost in the storm. The two boys just sat there awkwardly, trying to get warm. Nico offered for them to stay up until Harry's 11th birthday. Harry didn't see the point and told him so. All Nico said was "I know your aunt and uncle don't care but I do. Besides, it's not every day you turn 11."

So they sat with the blanket wrapped around them while looking at the watch on Dudley's fat wrist.

15 minutes. Harry wondered if by the time they got back to the house there would be so much letters that he could sneak two.

10 minutes. Nico thought back to the dream message with his 'father'. He still thought it was only a dream but it felt like it was important.

6 minutes. Harry wondered how much longer he could stand living with the Dursley's. The only reason he hadn't left yet was because of Nico. Harry enjoyed his company.

2 minutes. Nico wondered what the next year would bring. He had a feeling something extraordinary was about to happen.

60 seconds. What's that noise? Nico thought he heard something. Harry heard it too but passed it off as his imagination. Nico fingered his skull ring.

27 seconds to Harry's birthday. Nico wondered what he would be able to do for his friends birthday. Maybe he would scare the Dursley's into treating them better or threaten to strangle Dudley with his own shadow if he didn't leave Harry alone. Nico doubted he would be able to do it but Dudley didn't know that...

15 seconds. Harry could have sworn he heard footsteps coming from outside. He felt Nico reach for his ring. Harry never understood why Nico did that when he felt threatened.

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

BOOM! Nico and Harry leapt to their feet, staring at the front door.

BOOM! Uncle Vernon came into the room holding a rifle. So that's what was in the package...

BOOM! It was louder this time. Dudley woke up and hid behind his mother who was now trembling behind Vernon. "I'm warning you! I'm armed!" Vernon yelled to the person outside.

BOOM! Nico knew that one more hit and the door would brake down. He grabbed Harry and hid in a corner, concentrating on the shadows as he made them hide the two friends.

BANG! The door flew off its hinges. There was thunder in the background as the storm continued. A dark figure stood outside. Nico could feel his heart beating furiously in his chest. The figure walked slowly into the house. It turned to the area that Nico and Harry were hiding...


	7. Chapter 6

**A.N. Hey guys! Thanks for reading! I'm going to try to make this chapter a lot like the one in the book so most of this is J.K. Rowling's work, not mine.**

**Chapter 6: Keeper of the Keys**

The huge man stepped into the shack. He squeezed his way into the hut. The giant of a man bent down so his head brushed the ceiling. The man's face was hidden behind wild black hair and a beard, his eyes gleaming. He leaned down and picked up the door, fitting it back into the frame. The noise from the storm dropped a little. The man turned to face the Dursleys. Nico held onto Harry as they stood in the shadows, watching the strange man.

The man spoke. "Couldn't make a cup o' tea could yah? It's not been an easy journey." He walked over to the sofa where Dudley had slept before the man woke him up. The strange man seemed to go around the room, as if looking for something, or someone.

Nico tensed as the man looked in the corner they were hiding in. The stranger crept foreword and squinted. He suddenly smiled and laughed. "An' here's Harry!" Harry stepped out of the shadows as Nico fingered his skull ring again. "Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby. Yeh look a lot like yeh dad, but yeh've got yer mum's eyes."

Nico came to a quick conclusion and stepped out of the shadows as well. Nico stood next to Harry as the giant looked at the pale son of Hades in shock. The man smiled again. "An' yeh must be Nico di Angelo. Any friend o' Harry's is a friend o' mine."

Uncle Vernon's voice came from the other side of the room. "I demand you leave sir! You are breaking and entering!"

"Ah, shut up Dursley yeh great prune." The giant reached over to Uncle Vernon and twisted the gun easily and threw it out of the way. Vernon made a noise a lot like a mouse being squished. Nico smirked at his 'uncles' discomfort.

"Anyway- Harry," the giant reached into one of his pockets. Nico only just realized how many pockets the man had. "A very happy birthday to yeh-I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."

The man pulled out a slightly squashed box and handed it to Harry. As Harry opened the box, Nico thought about the giant. He didn't trust the guy for some reason. Inside the box was a chocolate cake with green and pink (most horrid color in Nico's opinion) icing. Written in pink were some words which Nico guessed said 'Happy Birthday Harry'. Although Nico was a little disgusted that the man sat on it, he was happy for his friend. Nico just wished that there was some way he could get Harry something...

Harry looked up at the giant. "Who are you?" The giant laughed and Nico fingered his ring again.

"True. I haven't introduced myself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts." Nico had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing. Hogwarts? Really?

He held out a huge hand and shook Harry's whole arm. Nico smirked at his friend but soon stopped when Rubeus Hagrid shook his hand so hard he thought it would come off. Nico turned to Harry and saw he was silently laughing. Nico gave The Chosen One a glare that would give Hades himself a run for his money.

Nico was brought back to reality when the giant walked over to the fireplace. He couldn't see what the man was doing but when he turned away Nico saw that there was a small fire. Warmth spread throughout the cottage, making Nico feel as though he was wrapped in a warm blanket. The giant sat on the sofa again, making it sag under his weight even more. It was almost half way to the floor. The stranger started pulling objects out of his pockets. Nico and Harry watched in awe as the 'Keeper of Keys' pulled out a kettle, sausages, a poker, a tea pot, a few chipped mugs and a bottle of amber liquid which the man took a quick sip out of before starting to make tea.

The sell of the sausages made Nico's mouth water. He hadn't had any real food for days. It was true they snuck food before leaving the Dursley's house but they ran out a while ago. Nico watched the giant man pull out ten cooked sausages. His stomach grumbled with hunger and he had a feeling Harry was drooling. Nico heard Vernon say from the corner, "Don't eat anything he gives you Dudley." Nico doubted the man made the sausages for Dudley. His suspicion was soon confirmed when the man chuckled darkly.

"Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin up anymore Dursley, don' worry."

He passed the sausages to Harry and Nico, each boy getting five. Harry ate the food right away but Nico had a feeling that the last time he accepted food from a stranger it didn't end well. Eventually, hunger won out. Nico couldn't remember the last time he ate something so good.

When he was done, he looked up to Rubues Hagrid. "Who are you?" He asked rather coldly. Nico felt Harry shiver beside him and he had a feeling it wasn't from the cold. The giant looked shocked and slightly afraid that a 11 year old could sound so evil. _Huh,_ Nico thought, _I guess I can be creepy. _Nico smirked at their discomfort.

When the giant recovered, he answered Nico's question. "Call me Hagrid. Everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper o' Keys at Hogwarts-yeh'll know all abou' Hogwarts o' corse."

Nico shook his head. "Er-no." Harry replied. Seeing Hagrid's shocked face he quickly added a "Sorry."

"Sorry?!" Yelled Hagrid. Even Nico was shocked by Hagrid's anger. He seemed like the nonviolent type. "It's them that should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts for cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"

Harry stood in shock. "All what?" Nico asked for his friend.

"ALL WHAT?! Now wait jus' one second!" Hagrid leapt to his feet at turned to the Dursleys who were cowering against the wall.

"Do yer mean ter tell me," Hagrid growled, "that this boy-THIS BOY-knows nothin' abou'-about ANYTHING?!" He yelled pointing to Harry.

"Um, I'm still here you know." Nico pointed out. Hagrid and Harry ignored him. Harry looked offended.

"I know some things. I go to school and learn math and stuff." But Hagrid simply waved this away.

"About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents' world!"

"What world?" Harry and Nico asked at the same time.

"DURSLEY!" Hagrid yelled. He looked like he was going to explode. Even Nico backed away from the rampaging giant. Mr. Dursley was backed against the wall and mumbled something that Nico couldn't make out.

Hagrid stared at Harry in shock. "But yeh must know about yer mum and dad. They're famous. YOU'RE famous." Once again Nico was forgotten. He went to a corner and sat down waiting to see how long it would take them to realize he was gone.

"What? My-my mum and dad were famous?" Harry asked in shock.

"Yeh don' know... Yeh don' know..." Hagrid seemed so shocked that he wasn't thinking strait. "Yeh don' know what yeh are?" He said finally.

"Stop!" Uncle Vernon yelled before Hagrid could continue. "Stop right there sir! I forbid you from telling the boy anything!" _Ares himself would have backed away form the glare Hagrid is giving Uncle Vernon,_ Nico thought. There was a pain behind his eyes again. _Ares? Where did that come from? He wondered._

"You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"

"Kept what from me?" Harry yelled. Nico made himself comfortable. This was getting interesting.

"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" Yelled Uncle Vernon in panic. Aunt Petunia gasped in horror.

"Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh." Hagrid said.

Nico had a feeling that would soon find out what was going on. "Harry-Yer a wizard." Nico's mouth fell open. He wasn't expecting that.

There was shocked silence. "I'm a what?" Asked Harry.

"Yeah, am I a wizard too?" Nico asked from the corner. Everyone jumped. They had forgotten about Nico. He walked out of the shadows.

Hagrid nodded. "That yeh are." Nico nodded.

Nico's taking this a lot better than me, thought Harry.

Hagrid at back down on the sofa. "Yer a wizard Harry. Yer friend here too. An' a thumpin' good 'un I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else wold yeh be? An' I recon it's abou' time yeh read yer letters."

Hagrid handed Harry a yellowed letter and another to Nico. He scowled. Stupid dyslexia. "Hagrid, are our letters the same?" Nico asked the giant. Hagrid nodded in reply. "Harry, could you read yours out loud? I can't read mine." Harry nodded to his friend and looked at the address.

**"To Mr. H Potter,**

**The Floor**

**Hut-On-The-Rock**

**The Sea" **Harry read.

Nico watched as his friend opened the letter and read:

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc, Chr. Warlock, Supreme Mugwamp, International Confed. of wizards)**

**Dear Mr. Potter,**

**We are please to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl no later then 31 July.**

**Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress.**

_Well, that made no sense,_ Nico thought.

"What does it mean, await my owl?" Harry asked. Nico smirked. That's the first thing he asked?

"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," Hagrid reached into his coat and pulled out an owl. Nico felt sorry for the poor creature. He watched as Hagrid pulled out a roll of parchment and wrote something down that Nico couldn't read because of his dyslexia. Hagrid rolled up the letter and gave it to the owl. He then walked to the door and threw the poor animal out into the storm the walked back as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

**(A.N. We are going into Harry's point of view for a while now.)**

Harry soon realized his mouth was open and quickly closed it. "Where was I?" Hagrid said as he sat on the sofa again. Before Hagrid could say anything else, a were white faced Uncle Vernon stepped into the firelight.

"He's not going." He said firmly. Hagrid grunted in reply.

"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him."

Harry was now really confused. "A what?" He asked.

"A Muggle," Hagrid explained. "It's what we call non-magic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on."

Uncle Vernon spoke up. "We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish! We swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed!" Harry was shocked. They knew. They knew and kept it from him!

"You knew?!" He yelled. "You knew I'm a-a wizard?!" Harry heard something shift in the corner but ignored it.

"Knew!" Aunt Petunia shrieked. "Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that-that school-and came home every holiday with her pockets loaded with frogspawn, turning teacups into rats! I was the only one who saw her for what she was-a freak!" Petunia shrieked.

Harry couldn't believe it. They knew about him and punished him for it. They had been lying to him all these years. Aunt Petunia stopped and took a deep breath before continuing.

"Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange as-as abnormal-and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!" Harry heard a quick gasp from the corner but ignored it.

"Blown up?! You told me they died in a car crash!"

"A CAR CRASH!" Hagrid bellowed. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? This is an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"

A sharp scream cut through the air. The air grew cold and all the shadows seemed to rush to the corner of the hut. The ground seemed to shake Harry turned to the corner and saw Nico lying on the floor clutching his head. Tears streamed freely from his eyes. Harry rushed over to his friends side. "Nico? Nico! Are you ok? Nico what's wrong?!" Nico looked up at Harry and Harry saw how much pain his friend was in. Harry thought he heard Nico mutter something that sounded a lot like "Mom." before his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed. Hagrid stood in shock and the Dursley's stood in the corner trying to get as far away from Nico as they could. The air warmed up and the ground stopped shaking but the shadows seemed to stick to the pale 11 year old.

Harry struggled to pick up his unconscious friend. After staring at Harry for a while, Hagrid carefully took Nico from Harry and set him on the couch. Harry sat by his friend, wishing he could help him. Nico started shivering and Harry put the blankets around his friend. After sitting there in silence for a while, Nico's eyes snapped open. "No!" He yelled. Nico looked around the room as if he was looking for something. Harry put a comforting hand on the son of Hades shoulder.

"Nico? Are you ok mate?" Nico's eyes started tearing up again.

"I-I think I remembered something. It was about my mom..." Harry nodded.

He had never seen Nico break down like this before. Nico always acted so strong. It scared Harry to see someone he looked up to break down. "You want to talk about it?" Harry asked.

Nico shook his head. "It was terrible. But it seemed familiar." Nico was lost in his thoughts. After making sure Nico was ok, Harry turned back to Hagrid.

"What happened to my mum and dad? And I don't think you should mention explosions. I have a feeling that caused Nico so much pain." Hagrid nodded and continued to explain what happened.

**(A.N. Yea! Back to Nico's point of view! Now we get to see what happened...)**

Nico sat in the corner awkwardly. It was strange hearing about Harry's parents. He shifted, trying to get comfortable. "You knew?! You know I'm a-a wizard?!"

Aunt Petunia shrieked. "Knew! Of course I knew!" Nico tuned them out for a while. He had a feeling this was between Harry and his family. If Harry wanted, he would tell Nico later.

Something got his attention a few minutes later. "Then she went and got herself blown up then we got landed with you!" Nico gasped. There was a sharp pain behind his eyes. This seemed stronger then ever before. He had to bite his lip to keep himself from crying out.

"BLOWN UP?! You told me my parents died in a car crash!" The pain seemed to get ten times worse. His eyes started tearing up. Spots danced in front of his eyes.

"A CAR CRASH!" Hagrid's shouting seemed to make his head hurt more. Nico's head felt like it was breaking open. Nico gripped the carpet, trying to hold in the cry of pain. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter?! This is an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"

Nico couldn't hold it in anymore. He could feel reality slipping away from him. He screamed as loud as he could. He fell to the ground, clutching his head. Make it stop! He thought as loud as he could, as if that would stop the pain. His head hurt so much. An image of a beautiful young woman seemed to flash through his mind. Someone ran towards him and said something, but he was in to much pain to notice who it was. "Mom?" He muttered. He didn't know how, but he knew the woman he saw was his mother. Suddenly, everything went blank.

Nico found himself standing in a room. He seemed to be standing in the lobby of an elegant hotel. Two young children, a boy and a girl, chased each other around the marble columns. The girl looked 12 while the boy looked 10.

A woman sat on a nearby sofa. She wore a black dress, gloves, and a black veiled hat. On the chair next to her sat a tall man in a black pinstripe suit. He was leaning towards the woman, using his hands as he talked, a habit Nico had as well. With a shock, Nico realized these were his parents, which made the little boy him, and the girl...

I-I have a sister? Nico thought to himself. He decided to think about that later, that and the fact that, the other Nico was a year younger then he was now. It made no sense. He was with Harry last year. He looked at his father and mother. Hades seemed to be talking but his words didn't reach Nico's ears. It was as if someone had pressed the mute button on the television. He was soon able to hear his mothers voice.

"No, my love." She said in an Italian accent. He couldn't hear her next few words. "I will not do this."

"Maria, listen to me. The war in Europe has turned the other _ against me. A prophecy has been made. My children are no longer safe. _ and _ have forced me into an agreement. None of us are to have _ children ever again." The silent parts of the conversation was really starting to annoy him. He was brought out of his thoughts by his mothers voice.

"But you already have Nico and Bianca. Surely-"

"No! The prophecy warns of a child who turns sixteen. _ has decreed that the children I currently have must be turned over to _ for proper training, but it know what he means. At best they'll be watched, imprisoned, turned against their father. Even more likely, he will not take a chance. He won't allow my _ children to reach sixteen. He'll find a way to destroy them, and I won't risk that!" Nico's heart was racing. Someone wanted to destroy him? Just because he was born? That wasn't right! Maybe he would get more answers before this vision was over...

"Certamente," Maria said. "We will stay together. _ is un imbecile." Nico was to worried about the fact that someone wanted to kill him and his sister to notice that he understood what his mother was saying, despite it being in another language.

Hades looked up at the ceiling, as if worried that someone would hear what Maria had said about the mystery person. They couldn't be that powerful... Could they? Nico thought to himself.

"Maria, please. I told you, _ gave me a deadline of last week to turn over the children. His wrath will be horrible, and I cannot hide you forever. As long as you are with the children, you are in danger too."

Maria smiled. "You are a _, my love. You will protect us. But I will not take Nico and Bianca to the _." Whatever his father said next was blocked out, but whatever he said caused Maria to laugh.

"You are a kind man. A generous man. The other _ should see you as I do, and they would not fear you so. But Nico and Bianca need their mother. Besides, they are only children. The _ wouldn't really hurt them."

"You don't know my family," the older man said darkly. "Please, Maria, I can't lose you." Nico's head spun. His own family wanted to kill him? He was almost glad he didn't remember them.

She touched his lips with her fingers. "You will not lose me. Wait for me while I get my purse. Watch the children." Nico had a bad feeling. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

She kissed Nico's father and rose from the soda. Nico and Hades watched her walk upstairs. Hades looked as if her every step caused him pain.

A moment later, Hades tensed. The two younger children stopped playing, as if they sensed something was wrong too.

"No!" Hades yelled out. Black energy shot out of his hands and surrounded Nico and Bianca. Nico watched in horror as the hotel exploded right after the children were protected by the black wall.

The explosion was so great that the vision faded out for a second. When it came into focus, Nico almost wished it hadn't.

His father was kneeling in ruins, holding the broken form of Maria in his hands. Fires burned around the two lovers and lightning flashed in the sky. Hades shook his fist at the sky and yelled something Nico couldn't make out. The two children were blocked from his view. The whole scene was muted again as his father talked to someone Nico couldn't see. It wasn't a moment later that the broken form of Maria di Angelo dissolved into shadows.

The image started to fade.

No, Nico thought, no no!That can't be it! But that was the last he saw. The vision dissolved.

Nico's eyes snapped open and he sat up. "No!" He yelled. The image of his mothers dead body seemed to burn its way into his mind. No, he thought, Mom... He had just seen his mothers death. She was killed but his own family. Then, a terrible thought hit Nico. My family wanted to kill me and Bianca. How am I alive? Is SHE alive?

Nico broke down. He had finally learned to live with the fact that he was alone, and now he knew his own family had killed his mother. He wondered if his sister, Bianca, was dead. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a warm hand touch his arm. "Nico? Are you ok mate?" It was Harry. Nico cried silently. He looked around the room, half expecting to see the man his father was talking about standing over him, trying to kill him. Nico turned back to Harry. His only friend. The only one who cared about him. His eyes teared up again. He was so grateful to have a friend like Harry.

"I-I think I remembered something. It was about my mom..."

Harry nodded. "You want to talk about it?" He whispered. Nico shook his head. He wasn't ready. If he broke down just thinking about it, he didn't trust himself to talk about it.

"It was terrible. But it seemed familiar..." Nico was lost in his own thoughts.

He was thinking about how he could find his sister when he remembered something. It was a dream he had a while ago. His father had warned him things were going to change and he had a feeling it wasn't just a dream anymore. His father had said something like, "Protect that boy, Harry. He has a terrible fate and much he must accomplish. Protect him." Nico knew right then that he would always be there for Harry. He would die for his friend.

Nico was in a daze for the rest of the night, trying to get warm. He managed to crack a smile when Hagrid gave Dudley a tail. Before he knew it, he fell asleep on the couch, dreaming of a day when he would be reunited his mom, dad, and sister.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Diagon Ally**

Nico woke up the next morning to tapping. He groaned and rolled over. "Just a few more minutes Aunt Petunia." He mumbled. Then he remembered the events of the night before. He wondered if it was just his imagination. _Only one way to find out,_ he thought.

Nico sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked around him and took in his surroundings. There was the giant, Hagrid, asleep on the floor. Nico smiled. It was true. Him and Harry were off to a school for wizards and would be leaving the Dursleys.

Nico looked over to the window and saw Harry struggling to open it to let in an owl. Nico leapt off the couch and helped Harry. They watched in awe as the owl dropped a newspaper on Hagrid, who was still fast asleep. It began to attack Hagrid's coat which was now on the floor.

Harry walked over to the owl and tried to shoo it away. "I don't think that's going to work." Nico told him. Harry ignored Nico's warning and tried to get rid of the owl. The small animal just snapped at his fingers and continued attacking the coat.

"Hagrid!" Harry yelled, trying to wake up the giant. "There's an owl-"

"Pay him." Hagrid grumbled.

"What?" Nico wondered if he heard him right.

"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets."

"Easier said than done." Nico grumbled. The two boys started looking through the pockets, finding all kinds of strange things. After a while, Harry brought out a handful of coins.

"Give em' five Knuts." Hagrid grumbled, still half asleep.

"Knuts?" Harry asked.

"The little bronze ones."

After the two gave five Knuts to the owl, Hagrid stood up and stretched. The giant let out a very loud yawn. "Best be off Harry, Nico, lots ter do today, gotta go up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."

Nico watched as Harry turned the wizard coins in his hand. Harry's smile disappeared. "Um-Hagrid?" Harry asked. Hagrid grunted to show he was listening. "I haven't got any money and you heard Uncle Vernon last night-he won't pay for us to go learn magic." Nico's heart sank. They were stuck with the Dursleys.

"Don' worry abou' that." Hagrid stood up and scratched his head. "D'yeh think yer parents wouldn't leave yeh anything Harry? Oh, and Nico, yer dad set up an account fer you too." Nico was shocked. His father left him something?

"But if their house as destroyed-"

"Harry, I'm sure wizards have banks too." Nico interrupted.

"Yer right Nico. First stop fer us is Gringotts, the wizard bank. Eat a sausage, they aren't too bad cold an' I wouldn't say no to a bit of yer birthday cake either." Nico and Harry served themselves.

"So, Hagrid, how many banks do wizards have?" asked Nico.

"Jus' one. Gringotts. Run by goblins." Harry dropped his sausage while Nico just stared at Hagrid, wondering if he was sane.

"Goblins?!"

Hagrid just nodded. "Yeah-so yeh've be mad ter try an' rob it." Hagrid continued. "As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagrid said proudly. "He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you two, gettin' things from Gringotts- knows he can trust me see." After Nico and Harry ate the sausage and had a little cake, they were off.

As they watched Hagrid prepare the boat, Nico was lost in his own thoughts. The two boys sat in awkward silence before Nico voiced one of his thoughts. "Hey, Hagrid?" Hagrid grunted to show he was listening. "How did you get here? I don't see another boat."

"Flew." Hagrid replied simply as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Flew?!" Harry yelled astonished. Nico went a little green at the mention of flying.

"Yeah- but we'll get back ter this. Not s'ppost ter use magic now that I have yeh."

After they emptied to water from the bottom and Harry dragged Nico into the boat, they were off. After a moment of silence Hagrid spoke up. "Be a shame ter row though." He gave the two friends a sideways glance. "If I was ter-er-speed things up a bit- yeh wouldn't mention anythin' at Hogwarts?"

Harry's eyes shone with excitement. "Of course not." It was obvious he wanted to see more magic. Nico nodded in agreement. He too wanted to see more magic and the sooner they got out of this death trap the better. Nico and Harry watched as the giant man pulled out his pink umbrella again. Hagrid tapped the side of the boat and they sped off towards land.

Nico felt sick to his stomach. He gripped the side of the boat so hard his knuckles were white. Nico wasn't scared of much but what he was afraid of, frightened him a lot. He hated the ocean and just the thought of a plane made him sick. He wasn't too fond of small spaces either, he felt like the walls were closing in on him, cutting him off from the outside world. Nico shuddered at the thought. Sometimes, he wondered how he made it through five years in a dark closet under the stairs. Nico pushed away the unpleasant thoughts_. Think about something else, anything else,_ he thought.

Nico thought about Hagrid. He still didn't trust him but he was warming up to the big guy. He replayed what happened the night before in his head. The image of him mothers still body came to his mind. He started to feel sick. He tried to push the image out of his mind but it would just come back. The image of the hotel collapsing on her seemed to replay over and over again. The fact that they were crashing into waves wasn't helping his stomach at all.

**Harry:**

Harry noticed his friend looked even more pale than usual. "Nico, are you ok?" His friend turned to him. Harry had to bite back a gasp. Nico's eyes looked so... empty. Like he had lost all hope. As if he had seen too much in the 11 short years of his life. Nico, for the first time ever, looked broken.

Nico was trembling. He nodded, saying that he was fine but Harry wasn't fooled. If Harry listened closely, he could hear Nico muttering under his breath. He seemed to be switching from English to two other languages Harry didn't recognize. After listening closely, he discovered that one of the languages was Italian. Nico didn't seem to know he was speaking in three different languages.

Harry strained his ears, trying to hear what he was mumbling. It sounded something like: "No... Mom... l'hotel appena crollato...Mamma morta... In che modo...όραοή..." Some Italian and the other language. "Bianca... Dead? Find her..." And some other things that seemed just random, like orange, Perseus and something about hazel? Harry wondered who Bianca was.

Harry decided he needed to take Nico's attention off of... whatever it was he was thinking. "Why would you be mad to rob Gringotts?" He asked Hagrid.

"Spells-enchantments. Some say dragons guard the high security volts." The thing about dragons caught Nico's attention.

"Did you say drakon?" He asked with fear in his eyes. Drakon? Harry thought, _What is a drakon?_ Hagrid shook his head as he scanned the newspaper he had in hand.

"_Dragons._ Anyways, an' then yeh must find yer way-Gringotts is hundreds of miles underground see? Deep under the Underground. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat."

Nico and Harry sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts while Hagrid read his newspaper, The Daily Profit. Harry and Nico had learned early on that people didn't like to be deserted while reading the newspaper.

"Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual." Hagrid muttered to himself.

"There's a Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked Hagrid.

"'Course, they wanted Dumbledore fer Minister o course but he would never leave Hogwarts, so ol' Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if ever was one. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls, askin' fer advice."

**Nico:**

"But what does the Ministry of Magic do?" Nico asked.

"Well their main job is to keep us from the Muggles."

"Why?" Harry asked. Nico rolled his eyes.

"Wow Harry, even I could figure that out. I'm guessing its because if Muggles knew magic was real, they would come knocking down the doors of other witches and wizards asking for wishes. They would want magic to solve all their problems. Right Hagrid?" Hagrid stared at him in shock.

"That's right Nico. How did yeh know that?" Nico shrugged, still griping the sides of the boat.

"It's simple logic. People are lazy and if they knew about magic they would beg us to make their lives easier."

Finally, the boat ran onto the shore. Nico leapt out of the boat as soon as he could.

The trip to London was awkward to say the least. Hagrid kept drawing unwanted attention because of his height. It also didn't help that Hagrid would point at normal, everyday things and say something like, "See there Harry? Things these Muggles dream up eh?" Nico sighed. He was forgotten again. He hoped he would be wanted at Hogwarts. He smiled a little. The name Hogwarts always made him laugh.

Hagrid split the path easily, all Harry had to do was walk close to him. After a while, he gave up and fell back next to Nico. Nico parted the path easily too. People would avoid him, thinking he was evil or something strange like that. How an eleven year old scared people so much was a mystery to him.

Nico hadn't noticed Harry yet. "So, what were you saying on the boat ride?" Nico jumped, but when he realized who it was he calmed down.

"Well, you know how I feel like I had a life before I met you, but we always dismiss it because we met when we were five?" Harry nodded. They talked about this often, coming up with crazy stories to explain where Nico was before they met. "Well, sometimes, I feel a sharp pain behind my eyes and it feels like I'm about to remember something huge but then it goes away. They seem random. Orange, purple, hazel, the story of Perseus, the Greeks..." Harry nodded, it did seem random.

They walked in silence for a while. "Are you ok? You've been acting strange sense you collapsed last night." Nico really wished Harry didn't bring that up. His eyes started to water as the image of his dead mother appeared in his head. _No,_ he thought, _I must not show weakness._

Nico took a shaky breath. "Yeah, it's just that I think I remembered something from my past..." Harry smiled at his friend.

"Really? That's great!"

Nico shook his head. "It was terrible. I-I watched someone die..." Harry was shocked by this. Nico had seen death? When? "It was weird though, I saw myself there too, but I looked ten. That was only last year, but I was with you the whole time..."

Harry sighed. "Do you think it was a dream?"

Nico shook his head. "It wasn't a dream. It felt like... like I had seen it before." They continued in silence for a while longer.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Harry asked. Nico felt a mixture of feelings. Anger that Harry wanted him to talk about it when it was obvious he didn't want to. Sadness that his mom was dead. And he was touched that Harry cared about him.

Nico shook his head. "I'm not ready. I can't even think about it without freaking out. I'll tell you when I'm ready." Harry nodded in understanding. That seemed like all he could do.

"Come on, let's catch up with Hagrid. I want to ask about dragons."

The two boys ran through the crowd. "Hagrid, did you say there were dragons at Gringotts?" Harry asked. Hagrid nodded

"Well, so they say. Crikey, I'd like a dragon."

Nico was shocked. "You'd WANT one?!"

"Wanted one ever since I was a kid-here we are." They had arrived at the train station. Hagrid gave Harry the money because he didn't understand "Muggle money" as he put it. After Harry bought the tickets, they boarded the train.

People were staring even more on the train than they did on the streets. Hagrid took up about 2 seats and was knitting some yellow thing. "Still got your letter Harry?" Hagrid asked. They decided to throw Nico's letter away since they had Harry's and Nico couldn't read anyway. Harry nodded and pulled out his letter. "Good, there's a list of everything yeh need." Nico watched as Harry unfolded the letter. After Harry was done reading it, he passed it to Nico. It took him the whole train ride but he was finally able to read it. It said:

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY uniform**

**First year students will require:**

**-Three sets of plain work robes (black)**

**-One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear**

**-One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)**

**-One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)**

**Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags**

_At least it's all black,_ Nico thought. He hated uniforms.

**All students should have a copy of the following:**

**The Standard Book of Spells (Grade One) by Miranda Goshawk**

**A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot**

**Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling**

**A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch**

**One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore**

**Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamandder**

**Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger**

**The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self Protection by Quentin Trimble**

**Other Equipment:**

**1 wand**

**1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)**

**1 set glass or crystal phial**

**1 telescope**

**1 set brass scales**

**Students may also bring an owl OR cat OR toad**

**PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK**

"Can we buy all this in London?" Nico asked looking up from the list.

"If yeh know where to go." Hagrid replied.

Harry and Nico had never been to London before. Whenever the Dursleys went, Nico and Harry were left at Mrs. Figgs house. The two friends followed Hagrid. He seemed to know where he was going. After going through the Underground and many complaints from Hagrid, they headed through a plaza.

"I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic." Hagrid grumbled. They walked down a road with shops lining both sides of the street. Hagrid parted the crowd again. The two boys had to jog to keep up with him. They passed book shops, a movie theater, a library and other shops. Nico wondered where you could get a wand. It was obvious it wouldn't be where Muggles could wonder in but he had no idea where to find one.

Nico jogged over to Harry. "So, what did Hagrid say last night? You know, I stopped listening when he mentioned your parents. Do you want to talk about it?" Harry was silent.

After a while he replied, "If I tell you, will you tell me what you remembered?"

Nico sighed and shrugged. "I don't know. It's hard knowing what happened to my mom. I always thought they left me but..."

Harry nodded. "I feel the same. How about this, I'll tell you about my mum and dad and when you're ready, you can tell me about what you remembered." Nico sighed.

"Ok. So, what happened to your parents? I mean, if you don't want to tell me now I understand. I can wait."

Harry shook his head. "Turns out I'm famous in the wizard world. I have a feeling I'm going to be mobbed as soon as we get there. You should probably know why." Nico nodded.

Harry swallowed nervously. "Well, there's this dark wizard named Voldemort-" he stopped when he noticed Nico growling.

"How dare he!" Nico yelled out. "How dare he make fun of my father like that! Calling himself Voldemort." Harry noticed Nico flinched a little.

"What do you mean Nico? How does that insult your dad?" Nico was silent for a second.

"I'm not sure. All I know is that 'Voldemort' is Latin. It translates to "flight of death" meaning he runs from death and causes it a lot." **(A.N. Yes, I understand Voldemort is French but Nico does not speak French like Piper and I'm pretty sure he knows Latin so please just go with it.)**

Harry nodded and took a shaky breath as he started over. "Turns out there's this really evil wizard, Voldemort, and for some reason he showed up at my house when I was one..."

Nico put a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder. "You don't have to tell me you know..."

Harry shock his head. "You deserve to know. Voldemort showed up at my house on Halloween. He-he killed my dad." Harry's voice shook. "He killed my mum too. She died trying to save me. He-he tried to kill me too." Nico's eyes widened in fear. "Once he decides to kill someone, they don't make it." Harry started to cry. "Except, for some reason, he couldn't kill me. He sent a killing curse at me. It killed my parents and hundreds of others but it didn't work on me. He lost his power. I'm famous cuz, I'm the only one who survived the killing curse. I'm even more famous because he lost his power too. Disappeared."

They walked in silence for a while. Nico couldn't believe it-no, he could. Nico, for some reason, felt the power of death coming off of Harry. Nico didn't know how he could tell but ever sense the day they met, Nico felt death around Harry. Now he knew why. "Almost there." Hagrid told them.

Nico swallowed nervously. "My mom died protecting me too..." He muttered. Harry looked at him in shock. "That was my vision. I saw my mom die..." It was Harry's turn to comfort Nico now.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

Nico shook his head. "I'm still in shock. Maybe later." Harry nodded in understanding. Nico was glad he told Harry. He understood what it was like to find out your mom died for you. He had just found out the day before as well.

They were brought out of the awkward silence when Hagrid stopped in front of an old building. "This is it." Hagrid stated. "The Leaky Cauldron. It's famous." Nico wondered why it was famous. It was in worse shape then the shack they stayed at the night before, and that was saying something. Nico look closer. The 'Leaky Cauldron' seemed to disappear and reappear, as if debating if it should show itself or not. It suddenly stopped and decided to let Nico see it. When he looked at the other people around him, it seemed like their eyes just skipped over the shabby building. _Like the Mist,_ he thought. Nico flinched at the sharp pain behind his eyes. _Why am I thinking about mist?_ he wondered. He stored 'Mist' in the causes-random-pain section of his mind.

They walked into the shop. Nico felt right at home. It was dark and creepy, his kind of place. Harry noticed that as soon as Nico stepped into the small pub, the room got darker and all the shadows seemed to stretch towards him. This didn't go unnoticed by the people in the bar. They all looked around the pub in concern. When their gaze landed on Nico they seemed to relax a little. Nico, however, didn't notice this.

Nico walked over to stand by Harry. "The usual Hagrid?" The bar man asked. Harry whispered that he looked like a toothless walnut. Nico felt like he might have broken a rib trying to hold in his laughter.

"Can't Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business." Hagrid patted the two boys on the shoulder. Nico and Harry almost collapsed from the force.

The whole pup fell silent. The toothless walnut looked at Harry. "Good Lord, is this-can it be?" Everyone turned to look at the trio. "Bless my soul it's Harry Potter. What an honor."

Nico watched in shock as the bar man practically leapt over the bar and rush over to Harry. The man grabbed Harry's hand and shook it. Nico noticed he had tears in his eyes. "Welcome back Mr. Potter. Welcome back."

Before Nico could rush to his friends side, the sound of scraping chairs filled the room. Everyone crowded around Harry. Nico was forced away. Everyone kept shaking Harry's hand. Nico couldn't help it anymore. As Harry was talking too some guy wearing a purple lump on his head, all the shadows flew towards the famous 11 year old. Everyone backed up in shock as Harry was surrounded by shadows. Nico stepped forward and growled. Everyone-minus Harry (who was still hidden behind a wall of shadows) and Hagrid-backed up in shock. Nico noticed the man in purple seemed to be muttering under his breath. Something bothered Nico about this man but he ignored it. "Stop it! All of you! Can't you see he's not comfortable! Just leave him alone!" Nico shouted. When no one moved, Nico made the shadows return to their original positions with a wave of his hand. All the wizards were pale. "Come on Hagrid. Lets go get our school stuff." He grumbled as he walked out.

"Thanks mate." Harry mumbled to Nico. "For what you did I mean. That was cool what you did back there-creepy-but cool." Nico nodded. Harry noticed he was pale and sweating. "You ok?" He asked his friend.

"Just tired." Nico muttered. Harry gave Nico a concerned look before catching up with Hagrid.

"Told yeh didn't I? Told yeh you were famous. Even Professor Quirrell was was tremblin' ter meet yeh-mind you he's usually trembling."

"Is he always that nervous?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine when he was studyin' outta books then he took a year off to get some firsthand experience... They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag-poor blokes never been the same sense."

Nico had a feeling the man had come across worse then some old hag. "People aren't always what they seem..." He muttered so quietly only Harry heard him.

They stopped in front of a wall. "Now, where's me umbrella..." Nico gagged as Hagrid brought out a pink umbrella. He hated the color. Nico watched quietly as Hagrid seemed to be counting the bricks. "Three up two across..." Hagrid tapped a brick with his umbrella.

Nico watched in awe as a large hole spread throughout the wall. "Welcome, to Diagon Ally." Hagrid announced. Nico looked around. He was excited. It was his first time in the wizard world. When he looked over at Harry he had to cover his mouth to keep himself from laughing. Harry was practically skipping with excitement as his eyes darted around, trying to take in everything at once. Nico thought it was an amazing place as well but he had a feeling he had been somewhere that made Diagon Ally look like the shack they stayed in.

Nico noticed there where quite a few strange things that were for sale. Cauldrons, potion ingredients, brooms, robes and other strange things. Nico stared at a sign advertising cauldrons, trying to decode it. Hagrid must have noticed he was staring at it because he said, "Yeah, you'll be needin' one, but we've gotta get your money first."

Nico and Harry tried to see everything as they walked down the road. A plump woman outside of a store shook her head and muttered, "Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce, their mad..." Nico thought it was the _people w_ho were mad. Who would buy the liver of a dragon?

Nico heard hooting and turned towards a building. After staring for a while, he discovered it read: Eeylops Owl Emporium. Nico also saw a bunch of boys around Nico and Harry's age with their noses pressed up against a window. Nico noticed they were staring at a broom. "Look! The new Nimbus Two Thousand! Fastest ever!" One of them said.

They stopped in front of a grand building. "Gringotts." Hagrid announced. The building was white and made all the other shops look tiny. Standing in front of the doors was an ugly little creature. Nico fingered his ring. Something about this creature disturbed him, a little like Hagrid did but you could tell that was only because he was a giant. Nico had a felling most giants were cruel and evil, but Hagrid was the opposite. "Yeah, that's a goblin." Hagrid whispered to the two boys. Nico didn't trust them at all. They might be a head shorter then him, but he had a feeling he shouldn't underestimate them...

Harry was looking at a poem and muttering the words:

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed

For those who take, but do not earn

Must pay dearly in their turn

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.

"Like I said, yeh'd be ter try an' rob it. Besides, yeh need a key to enter a vault." Hagrid said. Nico thought this was taking it a bit far. Two goblins opened the door for them.

"Um, Hagrid?"

Hagrid looked over at Nico. "Yeah Nico?"

"Um, can I have the key to my vault? I know you have it." Hagrid nodded and handed over a small key.

"Careful, it's hot for some reason." When Nico grabbed it, it didn't hurt at all.** (It's only hot to Hagrid cuz he's only HALF giant)**

They walked up to a goblin at a counter. "Morning," Hagrid said to the goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Me. Potter and Mr. di Angelo's vaults." Nico fingered his ring again. The goblin seemed to stiffen when he saw Nico.

"And does Mr. Potter and Mr. di Angelo have their keys?" He spit out Nico's name like it was poison. Nico wasn't sure why but the goblin seemed to stare at him with hate.

"Got it here somewhere..." Hagrid pulled out all sorts of strange things. The goblin looked at the objects in disgust for a moment but turned back to Nico. "Got it." Hagrid handed him a small key.

"Everything seemed to be in order... May I see Mr. di Angelo's key?" Nico handed the goblin his key after a moment of hesitation. As soon as the goblin touched the key he cried out in pain and dropped the key. "Celestial bronze!" He yelled. **(I know that goblins aren't monsters but let's just say they are for now.)** All the goblins stopped what they were doing and stared at Nico. "Take it! Take your blasted key! Griphook will lead you to your vaults." Nico pocked his key and followed Harry and Hagrid.

As they walked away, Nico heard the goblin who touched his key yell. "Κατάρα που ο Yιος του οκότος!" Nico was shocked when he relished the goblin had spoken in another language-and he understood it. What the goblin yelled confused him even more. He had shouted "Curse you son of darkness!" Nico wondered if the goblin meant he was evil. He had a feeling it meant something else though...

Nico didn't pay much attention to what was going on after that. They were underground and he loved dark and damp places. He managed to come to his senses long enough to see Harry's small fortune. They stopped at Nico's vault next. It made Harry's vault look empty. There were piles and piles of gold and silver. Gyms and riches went back so far you couldn't see the back wall. There were swords and daggers and shields and many other lethal weapons. Nico picked up a dagger that seemed to feed off the light. He noticed it felt perfect in his hands. He flipped it into the air and caught it, he was surprised to find he now held a gold coin. **(this works a little like Jason's coin except it only has dagger mode)** The coin looked a lot like the coins around him.

"Hagrid, what's this?" He asked.

Hagrid smiled. "That's a Galleon. The silver ones are Sickles and the bronze ones are Knuts. There are 17 Sickles to a Galleon and 29 Knuts to a Sickle." Nico put the coin/dagger in his pocket. He had a feeling he would need it.

He filled his small sack with Galleons and Sickles and a few Knuts. He also noticed some other coins. They were bigger than Galleons. Drachmas, he thought. He had the pain behind his eyes again but ignored it. Nico put a few Drachmas in his pouch as well. Before they could leave, Hagrid asked the goblin something that caught Nico's attention.

"I also need to pick up the You-Know-What in vault 713." Hagrid handed the creature a sheet of paper. After glancing at it quickly, the goblin nodded and they were off again.

After a very exciting cart ride, they stopped at a vault that had no keyhole. Nico had a feeling that whatever was in it was important. Maybe dangerous, maybe valuable, probably both. Harry seemed to be bouncing with excitement. Nico was glad Harry forgot about his parents deaths. He seemed a lot happier.

The goblin walked up to the vault, but not before he sent a look of hatred at Nico. "Stand back." Griphook stroked the door with his long fingers. The door opened. Nico saw a little package on the ground. Harry looked a little disappointed but Nico knew that you shouldn't judge something by its size. The Galleon in his pocket may look small but Nico could use it to kill someone.

When Hagrid went to pick up the package, Griphook turned to the two 11 year olds. "If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there."

"How often do you check the vaults?" Harry asked.

Griphook smiled coldly. "About once every ten years." He seemed pleased with Harry's discomfort.

Hagrid came back and put it in his coat. "Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut." Hagrid said. He looked a little green.

After a silent but quick cart ride, they found themselves back outside, blinking at the sunlight. Harry and Hagrid seemed happy they were outside again but Nico wished he could go back underground. Nico wondered where they should go first now that they had money. He was really looking forward to getting a wand. Nico had a feeling he had more money than Dudley ever had in his pocket and was excited to spend some of it.

"Might as well get yer uniform." Hagrid pointed at a building with a pair of scissors over the door. "Listen, Harry, Nico, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up from the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts." They nodded and headed off to the store. Nico was still tired from controlling the shadows in the pub.

They walked into the store and found Madam Malkin smiling at them. "Hogwarts dears?" Nico managed to hide a snort and nodded. She led them to two stools next to a boy with a pale, thin face and platinum like blonde hair. He wore pinned up black robes_. At least they're black,_ Nico thought. He was glad they weren't like Dudley's Smeltings uniform.

"Hello Hogwarts too?" Nico just nodded, not trusting himself to keep quiet about the name. "My fathers next door buying my books and my mother's up the street buying me a wand." He had a slow, boring voice. He almost fell asleep just listening to him, thankfully, Madam Malkin stuck him with a pin to wake him up. Nico had a feeling she did this on purpose sense she was working on Harry's robes.

He seemed to be talking to Harry at the moment. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. Don't see why first years can't have them, I might just bully father into getting one for me." Nico knew he was used to getting everything he wanted and was planing on showing him what it's like in the real world very soon...

"Have you got your own broom?" The boy asked.

"No." Harry replied.

The boy turned to Nico. "What about you?"

Nico shook his head. "I think it's stupid to risk your life just to ride a stick."The boy scowled at him, as if he had just kicked his million dollar poodle.

"Play Quidditch at all?" The boy turned back to Harry.

"No." Nico wondered what Quidditch could be.

"I do-Father says it would be a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"

"No." Nico and Harry said at the same time.

"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family has been - imagine being out in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" Nico was feeling stupider by the minute.

"Mmmm," was all Harry said.

Nico was thinking more along the lines of "If they aren't anything like you I would be proud to be put in Hufflepuff."

They stood in silence for a while. Madam Malkin moved on to Nico. "I say, look at that that man!" The boy pointed at Hagrid. Hagrid held two ice creams showing them he couldn't come in.

Nico smiled. "That's Hagrid. He works at Hogwarts."

"Oh," the boy said, "I've heard of him, he's some sort of servant isn't he?" Nico felt anger boiling up inside of him. Even though he had only known Hagrid for less then 24 hours, he had still saved him and Harry from the Dursleys and he had nursed Nico back to health when he remembered his mom.

"No," Nico said through clenched teeth. "He's the gatekeeper."_ And a much better person then you could ever dream of becoming_, he added in his head.

"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage - lives in a hut on school grounds and every now and then gets drunk and sets fire to his bed."

_How about I set your bed on fire,_ Nico thought, _with you still in it._

Harry's eyes widened. The shadows were moving towards the rude boy and Nico reached into his pocket and pulled out a Galleon for some reason.

"I think he's amazing." Harry replied coldly. Nico was REALLY starting to hate this boy.

The boy seemed shocked at this. "Oh really? Why is he with you? Where are your parents?" The shadows crept closer.

"They're dead. Nico's mom died too. What do you care?" Harry looked at him coldly. Nico tried to calm down but was failing epically. Black fire danced through his hair. No one but Harry seemed to notice though.

"Oh, sorry." He didn't care about it at all. "But they were our kind, weren't they?" A ball of fire formed in Nico's hand. _Who __**CARES**__ if they were a witch and wizard?!_

"They were a witch and wizard if that's what you mean." The boy turned to Nico. He must have been really stupid because he didn't realize that Nico was on fire.

"My dad was. I don't know about my mom."

Nico managed to calm himself down so that the fire disappeared. "I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they got the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname, anyway?"

Before they could respond, Madam Malkin saved them. "You're done dears." Nico and Harry hopped off the stools.

Nico started to follow Harry and Madam Malkin to pay for the robes when he had a wonderful idea. He smiled evilly. He just loved scaring annoying people. Nico slowed to a stop after Harry and Madam Malkin walked out. "By the way, I'm one of those people who didn't know about Hogwarts." He said with his back turned away from the boy. "But I can still kill you in a very painful way."

The boy snorted. "Oh really? And what makes you say that?" Nico thought_, What the heck? Someone needs to put this brat in his place. _

Nico turned around slowly and dramatically. He concentrated on all the shadows in the room. He commanded the boys shadow to grab it's owner. The boy gasped, eyes wide with fear, as his shadow leapt to life and grabbed him. Nico made all the other shadows in the room dance around him. For good measure, he made a ball of black flames appear in his hand and threw it at the boy. The brat let out a terrified scream as the ball of fire flew towards him. It flew past his shoulder and hit the wall behind him. Nico let everything go back to normal and smiled evilly at the boy.

"Do you believe me now?" The boy nodded frantically. Nico headed towards the door Harry had disappeared threw just moments before. "See you at Hogwarts." **(I know that wasn't necessary but I REALLY enjoy making Nico scare people. Get used to it.)**

Nico and Harry walked quietly as they ate their ice cream. "What's up?" Hagrid asked. Nico just stayed silent, lost in his own thoughts. He was really tired from scaring that annoying brat at the robe shop but it was worth it. Harry said something that finally got Nico's attention.

"Hagrid, what's Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"

"School houses, there's four. Everyone Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers but-"

"I bet I'm a Hufflepuff." Harry said sadly.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being put in Hufflepuff, Harry. Any house would be lucky to get you." Nico reassured his friend.

Harry smiled gratefully. "Nico's right Harry. Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin. There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad that wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."

"Vol-, sorry, You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

Hagrid nodded. "Years an' years ago."

They bought their school books and other supplies. They only had two things left, a pet, and a wand. Hagrid offered to buy Harry and Nico a bird, even when they tried to object. They made their way over to the Owl Emporium. Harry chose a beautiful snow white owl. Nico still didn't know what he should get...

Nico was about to give up when a dark shadow flew at him. He stared in shock at the black barn owl on his shoulder. It's grey eyes stared at him. Nico walked over to Hagrid and Harry, the owl still on his shoulder. He knew it was the one. "I found my owl Hagrid." Nico said.

Hagrid beamed at him. "Come on then, lets pay for 'em so we can go buy you two a wand." They paid for Nico's owl and walked over to the wand shop. Almost the whole way there the two boys couldn't stop muttering their thanks.

"Do you know what you're going to name it yet Nico?" Harry asked.

Nico nodded. "When he flew at me, I thought he was a shadow so I decided to call him Tenebris. It means darkness in Latin. Don't ask me how I know, I just do." A wand was what both Nico and Harry had been looking forward to.

After a few minutes, they arrived at the wand shop. After staring at the sign for a minute or two, Nico discovered it said Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.

They walked into the shop, Nico's heart racing with excitement. The shop seemed to be empty. It was small and had thousands of boxes stacked on top of each other. There was a wooden chair that Hagrid sat on in the corner. The air seemed to be humming with power.

Nico suddenly sensed another life force in the shop. He ran his thumb over his skull ring and gripped the Galleon in his pocket. "Good afternoon." A voice said from the corner. Harry and Hagrid jumped. There was a crash as the chair broke from Hagrid's weight. An old man stood in front of him, his silver like eyes gleaming. _Looks can be deceiving,_ Nico thought. He gripped the Galleon tighter.

"Hello." Harry replied awkwardly.

"Ah yes, I thought I would be seeing you soon Harry Potter. And it seems you brought a friend." His silvery eyes met the cold, black ones.

"Nico di Angelo." Nico stated coldly. He had a feeling this man was capable of more than he looked.

Ollivander turned back to Harry. "You have your mothers eyes. I remember the day she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice for charm work." He moved closer to Harry. Nico noticed Harry leaned away a little. "Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well I say your father favored it - the wand chooses the wizard, of coarse." Mr. Ollivander touched the scar on Harry's forehead. "And that's where... I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it." He whispered. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful... And in the wrong hands... Well, if I'd known what that wand was going to do in the world..."

He shook his head and looked at Hagrid. "Ah, Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again... Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy wasn't it?"

Hagrid nodded. "It was, sir, yes."

"Good wand that one. It I suppose they snapped it in half when you were expelled?" Ollivander seemed much sterner.

"Er-yes, it was, yes. I've still got the pieces though."

"But you don't use them?"

Nico noticed Hagrid gripped his umbrella tighter. "Oh, no sir."

"Hmm," he turned back to Harry. Nico had a feeling he would be there for a while before it was his turn so he walked over to a dark corner. He didn't have enough energy to control the shadows to make a chair so he just sat on the floor.

"Which is your wand arm?" Ollivander asked Harry.

"Um, I'm right handed." Ollivander instructed Harry to hold out his right arm. Nico watched the old man look through boxes as the tape measure floated around and took strange measurements. After it measured the distance between Harry's nostrils, it snapped shut.

Mr. Ollivander handed Harry a wand. After Harry waved it around a bit, the wand maker snatched it back. Every wand Harry tried either did nothing or blew something up. Nico had to dive out of the way quite a few times.

Ollivander paused for a second. "I wonder..." He muttered. He handed Harry a wand. "Holly and Phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple." Nico watched as red and gold sparks flew out of the wand. "Curious, very curious..." He muttered over and over as he wrapped up Harry's wand.

"What's curious?!" Nico yelled. The old man was driving him crazy.

"I remember every wand I sold Mr. di Angelo. Every one. It just so happens that the phoenix who gave its tail feather in Mr. Potters wand, gave one other feather - only one other. It just so happens that your wands brother gave you that scar." He touched Harry's scar with a long, thin finger. Harry shivered. Nico was a little less excited for his wand, he wasn't liking Mr. Ollivander much. "I expect much from you, Mr. Potter. After all, You-Know-Who did great things - terrible, yes very terrible - but great." Ollivander fixed the shop with a flick of his wand.

Harry walked over to where Nico was sitting. "Good luck, Mr. Ollivander is creepy."

Nico stood up and walked over to the center of the room. Before Mr. Ollivander could ask, Nico told him he was right handed. The tape measurer took its strange measurements as the wand maker pulled out a few wands. Ollivander snapped his fingers and the tape measurer fell to the ground once again.

" Fir, Phoenix Feather, 10 and 3/4 inches, surprisingly swishy." **(Whoo! That's my wand! :))** Nico flicked it and the windows broke. "No, no, defiantly not." He plucked the wand from Nico. "Here, Alder, unicorn hair, 10 inches." As soon as the wand brushed his fingers Ollivander took it back. "Nope. Spruce, dragon heart string, 9 3/4 inches." Half the boxes flew out of their place when Nico flicked the wand.

One hundred fifty seven used wands later, Mr. Ollivander seemed confused. Nico was getting aggravated. He just wanted to leave and take a nap to regain his energy. He must have been feeling very moody at the time because the shadows moved towards him again.

The wand makers eyes widened at the shadows. "Of course!" He exclaimed. The other three in the room jumped. Mr. Ollivander rushed to the back of the shop. "Yes, yes. I never thought I would sell it. Now, where is it. Very unique wand for a unique wizard. Where did I put it?" They heard him say. "Ah! Here it is!" The old man rushed back to Nico with a black box in his hand.

He pulled the top off the box and the room seemed to be colder. Nico could see his breath.

Mr. Ollivander held the box out towards Nico. "This wand is very powerful. There are none like it. When I made it and tried to sell it, it was so cold it burned anyone who touched it, me included. Even You-Know-Who could not touch it. I stopped trying to sell it after a while. Shame really, it has so much potential. Go on, take it. If it lets you hold it we will know it is the one."

Nico's hand shook as he reached for the wand. He gripped the wand in his shaking hand. It was very cold, much cooler than any of the other wands. As soon as he touched it, though, it seemed to warm up. All the shadows rushed at Nico and surrounded him, much like what happened to Harry in the Leaky Cauldron, except, it didn't tire him out. Cold wind blew around him, making his hair whip his face. It stopped as soon as it had started.

Mr. Ollivander was jumping up and down in excitement. "Yes! That's it! Care to put it back in its box for me Mr. di Angelo? Yes, that's it. You see, your wand is very special. Hazel, strip of a dementors robe, 13 inches. Very strange combination. This is the only wand to have a strip of a dementors robe as its core. It is very loyal to its owner. It will burn anyone else that touches it, even if they disarm you. It will stay loyal to you and only you. It is good for the Dark Arts. You need to be careful of how you use this wand, Mr. di Angelo." His silvery eyes stared unblinking into Nico's eyes. Nico felt like he was trying to pull out all his secrets. The wand maker turned away. "Each wand will be seven Galleons." They paid him and left.

Nico fingered his wand on the way out of Diagon Ally. As soon as they left a now empty Leaky Cauldron, Nico pocketed it. People gave them strange looks in the Underground. Nico sat with Tenebris on his lap while he fingered his dagger/Galleon. He thought about what the old wand maker had said. _"It's very good for the Dark Arts. You need to be careful of how you use this wand, Mr. di Angelo..."_

After they grabbed some food, Harry and Nico stood in front of the train that would be taking them back to the Dursleys. Hagrid handed them their Hogwarts train tickets. "Yer tickets fer Hogwarts." He said handing the two their tickets. "First o' September - Kings Cross - it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys jus' send me a letter with yer owls. They'll know how ter find me... See yeh soon Harry, Nico." The two boys nodded and climbed onto the train. They looked out of the window, watching Hagrid until he disappeared...


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Platform 9 3/4**

Nico enjoyed the last month with the Dursleys. Harry, however, thought the exact opposite. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley just left them alone and pretended they didn't exist while Dudley ran from whatever room they entered. It was depressing at first (and still to Harry) but Nico liked to be left alone. He rather enjoyed scaring Dudley just by walking into a room.

Harry spent all his free time reading his school books. Nico tried to as well but after staring at one page for an hour he ended up throwing the book across the room. Nico was hoping that there might be a spell that he could learn at Hogwarts to help his reading. Harry decided to name his owl Hedwig, after some famous person in one of his textbooks. Nico and Harry soon discovered that Hedwig and Tenebris hated each other. They would fight whenever they could. Because of this, Harry and Nico were forced to let each owl out one at a time.

While Harry could still go outside the small bedroom, Nico was "grounded." When Tenebris brought back a dead rat one night, Nico couldn't help himself. He snuck out of the room at night with the rat and snuck it into Dudley's dinner. He would have gotten away with it if he hadn't given away his position in the shadows.

Nico and Harry had taped up a pice of paper to the wall and were counting down to September 1. The day before they had to go to Kings Cross, Harry went down and asked Uncle Vernon if he could take them to the station. When Harry came back, Nico started packing. He wanted to sleep in as much as he could the next morning. Harry, however, had a different idea.

"Nico." Harry whispered. "Nico. Nico! Wake up!"

Nico groaned. "Just a few more minutes Aunt Petunia." He mumbled into his pillow. The pillow was yanked out from under his head. Harry whacked him with it.

"Come on Nico! We're going to Hogwarts today! Wake! Up!" Nico snatched the pillow back from Harry and tried to fall back asleep. "Aren't you excited to go to a school of magic?!"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean we need to wake up at four in the morning." Nico grumbled.

"It's 5:37! Come on! You need to get dressed!" When Nico didn't move, Harry pushed him off the bed.

"Ow! What was that for!"

Harry crossed his arms. "You wouldn't get up." Nico rolled his eyes and stood up. He grabbed his clothes and headed into the bathroom in defeat.

After he got dressed, brushed his teeth, and made his hair look slightly better then a birds nest, he walked back to the room he shared with Harry.

They packed their bags in silence and checked, double checked, and triple checked to make sure they had everything they needed for Hogwarts. Harry made sure Hedwig was safe in her cage as Nico called for Tenebris as loudly as he could without waking up the Dursleys. After fifteen minutes, Tenebris soared into the room and landed on Nico's shoulder. Nico managed to shut him safely in his cage after about five minutes of wrestling the stubborn black bird.

Harry paced the room. Nico tried to fall back asleep but he was to excited to go off to a magic school to go back to sleep so he paced with Harry, occasionally pulling his knife (in coin form) out of his pocket.

Two hours later, their trunks were loaded into the back of the car. Aunt Petunia talked *cough* bribed *cough* Dudley into sitting in between Nico and Harry. Nico snickered at Dudley. He looked so scared that it seemed he was going to pee his pants any second.

They reached the station at half past ten. Nico was close to insanity having sat still so long. He ran out of the car and grabbed Tenebris the second Uncle Vernon parked the car. Uncle Vernon grabbed the two boys trunks, put them in one cart, and wheeled them over to the platform number. Nico's eyes narrowed in suspicion. He was being too nice...

Nico's suspicions were proven correct when Uncle Vernon stopped in front of platform 9 and 10. Uncle Vernon had a nasty smile on his face. "Well, there you are boys. Platform 9 - platform 10. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle but they don't seem to have built it yet have they?" Nico saw Harry's crushed face. It seemed like Uncle Vernon was right. There was a big wall where the platform should be. But Nico had a feeling there was something strange about it...

"Have a good term." He turned away with an even nastier look. Nico and Harry turned around to see the Dursleys drive away, all three of them laughing. Nico swallowed nervously. He knew there was some special way to get onto the platform but he didn't know how. He had a feeling it would be something like tapping a brick to open the way, but that would be to obvious to the Muggles. It had to be something that no sane person would do...

Nico was getting worried. The train would leave in a few minutes and they were getting weird looks because of Hedwig and Tenebris. "What do we do now?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Let's be calm about this. We can do this." Nico reassured him.

Nico leaned against the wall between platform 9 and 10, expecting to be held upright by the solid wall. He fell back and found himself on the ground at a different place. _Of course_, he thought, _the barrier is the entrance!_ He stood up and headed back towards the barrier so he could tell Harry but was pushed away by the crowd of witches and wizards. He tried to push his way through the crowd but failed. He sighed and walked towards the train. _Great,_ he thought, _I'll just have to hope Harry finds the station and makes it. I guess I'll just get a compartment for now._

Nico made his way towards the big red train. He headed towards the back and sat down in an empty compartment. He blew a stray hair out of his eyes in annoyance. He stared out the window, looking for Harry. He felt a pang of sadness as he watched the other kids hugging and saying goodbye to their parents as their younger siblings cried, watching them go. He couldn't help but imagine what it would have been like if his mom was alive and if his dad actually wanted him, not to mention his sister, Bianca. He felt his eyes start to water but squinted, determined not to get upset over something that could never be. A few other kids came to his compartment, probably looking for somewhere to sit. Just one glare from Nico had sent them running.

Nico sighed and turned back to the window. He had really hoped he would make friends here, however, that now seemed unlikely. Nico saw three boys with bright red hair burst through the barrier. A few seconds later, a dark haired boy emerged. Nico sighed in relief. Harry made it. He wanted to go up to him and help him, but Nico knew if he left the compartment someone else would take it and he would just get lost in the crowd again.

Nico watched as Harry boarded the train. Nico rushed down the isle, looking for his friend. He had to be quick if he wanted to be back before someone took his compartment. Then he had a wonderful idea. He turned back to the compartment and concentrated. The shadows formed the figure of a young boy. Nico closed the curtain so it actually looked like a human being.

He soon found Harry talking to two of the boys, the twins. Nico crept closer. "Blimey," said one, "are you-"

"He is!" The other gasped. "Aren't you?"

"What?" Harry asked confused.

"Harry Potter." The twins said at the same time.

Harry blushed. "Oh him," Harry muttered.

Nico snorted_. "Oh him?"_ Honestly!

"I mean, yes, I am." The two boys stared at Harry in amazement.

"Fred? George? Are you there?" Someone, who Nico assumed was their mother, called.

"Coming Mum!" One of the twins yelled. With one last glance at Harry, they headed outside.

Nico stepped out of the shadows. "'Oh him,' really Harry? That was your response?" Harry jumped and turned to Nico. Tenebris' cage fell to the ground. The black owl gave an annoyed hoot.

Harry seemed torn between anger and happiness. "Nico! Where did you go?"

"I'll tell you soon, right now we need to get to the compartment I saved for us." Harry nodded.

Nico picked up Tenebris' cage and headed back to his compartment. Nico stopped in front of it. Harry gave him a confused look. "Who else is in there?" He asked.

Nico smiled. "No one." He drew back the curtain. Harry gasped at the shadowy figure. With a wave of his hand, the shadow returned to its position. Nico smiled. "Shall we?"

They sat down in the compartment and Nico opened his mouth to explain when Harry shushed him. Harry scooted towards the window. When Nico looked to see what Harry was looking at, he saw the family of redheads talking. Nico joined Harry.

"Ron, you've got something on your nose!" The mother pulled out a handkerchief. The youngest boy tried to pull away but failed.

His mother rubbed the end of his nose. "Mum- get off!" He managed to wiggle away from her grasp.

"Aaah, has ickle Ronniekins got something on his nose?" Teased one of the twins.

"Shut up." Ron muttered.

"Where's Percy?" said their mother.

"He's coming now."

The oldest boy came striding into sight.

He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Nico saw shiny red-and-gold badge on his chest with the letter P on it.

"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves -" Nico thought he sounded a bit stuck up.

"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."

"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once -"

"Or twice -"

"A minute -"

"All summer -"

"Oh, shut up," said Percy. Nico had to bite his lip to keep himself from laughing.

"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.

"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term - send me an owl when you get there."

She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.

"Now, you two - this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've - you've blown up a toilet or-"

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."

"Great idea though, thanks, Mum." Nico was even more excited now. With these two at Hogwarts, who knows what will happen.

"It's not funny. And look after Ron."

"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."

"Shut up," said Ron again.

He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.

"Hey, Mum, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"

Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.

"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"

"Who?"

"Harry Potter!"

Harry and Nico heard the little girl's voice.

"Oh, Mum, can I go on the train and see him, Mum, oh please..."

"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"

"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there - like lightning."

"Poor dear - no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform."

"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"

Their mother suddenly became very stern.

"I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school." Nico heard Harry sigh in relief.

"All right, keep your hair on."

A whistle sounded.

"Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry.

"Don't Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."

"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat."

"George!"

"Only joking, Mum."

The train began to move. Nico saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.

They watched the girl and mother until they drifted out of sight. After sitting in silence for a while, the compartment door slid open. Nico noticed it was the red haired boy from before, Ron. He looked nervously at the two friends. "Anyone else sitting here?" He asked pointing to the seat next to Nico. "Everywhere else is full."

Nico snickered. _Suuurrre, keep telling yourself that, he thought. _Harry elbowed him in the side and sent his a quick glare before turning back to Ron. They shook their heads and Ron sat down. Ron glanced at Harry but quickly looked away. Nico rolled his eyes. If this was how everyone was going to react this would be a long school year.

"Hey Ron." Nico looked up. It was the twins. "Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Right." Ron mumbled.

"Harry, did we introduce ourselves?" Said the other. "Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother."

Harry nodded. "This is my friend, Nico."

The twins nodded back. "Nice to meet you, see you later." The three of them mumbled their goodbyes.

They sat in silence for a while, listening to the rhythm of the train. After a while, Ron spoke up. "Are you really Harry Potter?" Nico rolled his eyes. Harry nodded. He seemed to be shocked that it was such a big deal. "Oh-well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes. Have you really got-you know." He pointed at Harry's forehead. Nico rolled his eyes again. Nico stopped listening after that. If all they were going to talk about was Harry's fame, Nico would rather take a nap. He was still tired and wished he got more sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, the image of his dead mother would appear.

He gave up when the cart full of snacks came around. "Anything off the cart dears?" Nico and Harry leapt up while Ron muttered something about sandwiches. Nico noticed Harry took half the cart so he just settled for four boxes of Chocolate Frogs. Knowing Harry, he would force him and Ron to eat some of his own candies. Nico paid the kind woman and walked back to the compartment, picking up anything Harry dropped.

Sure enough, Harry gave some candy to Ron and Nico. As they ate the candy, Nico thought he might try to see what he could do with his powers. Nico concentrated and made a shadow on the wall change shape. After managing to make a dragon, Ron spoke up. "How do you know each other?"

Nico responded, trying to make the green eyed boy with the stick he saw before. "I showed up on Harry's lawn when we were 5 and I lived with Harry and his aunt, uncle, and cousin ever sense." Ron nodded and turned away.

Nico smiled and turned the shadow into a wizard. "Hey, Harry check this out." Nico made the wizard move over to Harry as it waved its wand before the shadows moved back to their original position.

Harry smiled. "That was so cool!"

Ron looked at Nico with fear. "You did that?" He asked, his voice shaking.

Nico nodded. "Yeah why?"

"That's dark magic! People go to Azkaban for using that kind of magic!" Nico huffed angrily. He didn't know what Azkaban was but he had a feeling it wasn't good.

"Just because I can use it doesn't mean I'll use it for evil."

Harry nodded. "Nico would never do that. Maybe scare someone but that's it. You should avoid using them at Hogwarts though Nico, just in case." Nico nodded angrily.

Harry unwrapped a Chocolate Frog and looked at the card. He turned it over and read about some old guy named Dumbledore. When Harry turned it over, he gasped. "He's gone!"

Ron nodded. "Well you can't expect him to hang around all day. He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got six of her... Do you want it? You can start collecting." Nico shook his head so Ron gave Harry the card.

Ron looked at some of Harry's Chocolate Frogs. "Help yourself."

"You know, in the Muggle world, people just stay put in pictures." Nico said, unwrapping his own Frog.

Ron's eyes widened. "Really? Weird." Nico grabbed a box of what looked like jelly beans and started to open them. "You better be careful with those. When they say every flavor, they mean EVERY flavor. George says he had a booger flavored one once." Nico nodded. Ron opened up his own pack and took out a green one and bit into it. "Bleaaargh see? Sprouts."

They took turns daring each other to eat some strange looking beans. Nico ended up getting soap, banana, cherry, grass, eggs, and earthworm. Nico was about to take a bite out of a strange black bean when the door opened. A boy that was looking a little tearful came in. "Have any of you seen a toad?"

They all shook their heads. "Sorry but no." Nico said.

"Don't worry, it'll show up." Harry told him.

Nico stood up and stretched. "I'll help you look if you want." The boy nodded. They walked out of the compartment. "I'm Nico. What's your name?"

The boy sniffed. "I'm Neville."

Nico nodded. "Let's go find someone else to help. Then we could split up and look for him."

They headed down the train, looking for someone who could help. "What are you two doing! Your going to get expelled before we even arrive at the school!" Nico turned and saw a girl, around his age, with big brown hair and a bossy sort of voice. She was yelling at Fred and George who were running up and down the isle. Fred and George snickered and ignored her. The girl huffed. Nico had a feeling she was about to explode at the twins so he took over.

"Um, hi I'm Nico, this is Neville. Neville lost his toad and we were wondering if you could help?"

The girl turned to him. "Well I'd be happy to help with these two running around like children. Where are you from? You have a very strange accent, how long have you been in England? I didn't know Hogwarts accepted transfer students. I would know as I read all my school books. I was delighted when I got my letter. No one in my family is magic, we were quite surprised. My name is Hermione Granger by the way, and where should we start? I read in a book once that-"

"Yes well, thanks for your help Hermione. You can go with Neville here and look for his toad and go down there," he pointed the way they came. "And I'll go look on the other side." Hermione opened her mouth to reply but Nico, feeling another speech coming, turned and left.

As he passed Fred and George they pulled him aside. "Thanks for that mate." Said one, who Nico thought was Fred.

"Yes quite some lungs that one." Said George.

Even though Nico had only just met them, he had a feeling the conversation was about to take a turn for the worse. And he was right. "Don't worry Nico dear, we won't tell-"

"Harry about your little crush on Ms-know-it-all."

Nico rolled his eyes. "I saved you from her and you claim I'm in love? Well, I'm not and I need to find a toad. So if you would excuse me." Nico walked passed them and headed down the isle.

After looking all the way down the train, asking every single person if they had seen a toad, he made his way back to the compartment. He saw Hermione and Neville leave the compartment that Harry and Ron were waiting for him in. He quickly caught up with Neville and Hermione.

"Sorry Nev, I looked everywhere and asked everyone but no one has seen your toad. I'll keep an eye out for him though. Bye, nice meeting you Hermione." Nico left them and opened the compartment door.

"I told you we haven't! Oh, hey Nico. I thought you were that girl." Ron said, making room for him on the seat. Nico was about to walk in when he saw the boy from the robe shop walk out of a compartment. The boy eyed the compartment Harry was in. He didn't see Nico though. Nico had a wonderful idea.

He sat down in the corner. "Listen, I have an idea. Just pretend I'm not here and if things get nasty, I'll go through with the plan. Just don't freak out." The two boys nodded. Nico sank back not the shadows, making sure no one could see him. "Can you see me?" Harry told him it just looked like shadows_. Now for the hard part,_ Nico thought, _sitting still for a few minutes_. He fingered his Galleon and flipped it, smiling at the weight of the black knife.

The compartment door slid open and the boy walked in. "Is it true? They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," said Harry. Nico looked at the other boys. Both of them were thick and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." Nico tried not to laugh_. And my names Bond, James Bond._ He thought. Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snicker.

Draco looked at him.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford." Nico gripped the dagger tighter. Oh how he wanted to drive it through Draco Malfoy's face right now.

He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it. Nico was relieved.

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly. Nico smiled in pride at his friend. This kid was a real jerk and needed to be shown his place. Draco didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you." Nico couldn't take it anymore. He hid his knife up his sleeve and made himself visible. Harry saw him. Nico sent Harry a look that said 'I got this'. Harry pulled Ron back down.

"You know," Nico started. Malfoy, Ron, and the bodyguards jumped in surprise. "I really can't stand snobby rich kids. When I see them, I get angry. Do you remember what happened the last time I got mad Harry?" They all looked at Harry who was trying-and failing-to hide a grin.

Harry nodded. "Didn't you make Dudley's shadow attack him?" Nico nodded calmly.

He turned leaned back in his seat, pulling out his knife. Everyone paled at the sight. "Nico," Harry's voice shook, "where did you get a knife?" Nico started cleaning his nails with the dark blade.

"My vault. There were plenty of sharp objects laying around so I grabbed one."

Nico looked over at Draco, pleased to see he was white as a sheet. "Did our encounter at the robe shop tell you nothing? If so, you must be as stupid as you are rich. Do I need to spell it out for you? Never mind, you probably can't spell." Malfoy's seemed to really want to reply but knew better. His bodyguards; however, didn't. They stepped towards Nico and looked ready to punch him. Nico just sat there and raised an eyebrow. He flicked his wrist. Crabbe and Goyle yelped as their shadows shoved them outside. Nico tiered a little but didn't show it. He simply sighed, as if he knew it was a waste of time.

"Now, I want you to listen closely, Malfoy. If I hear you insult anyone, I will come for you." Draco was trembling with fear, as was Ron. Harry was white with fear. "Get out." Malfoy didn't move. In one swift movement, Nico flicked his wrist and the knife flew out of his hand. The next thing they knew, the knife was an inch away from Draco's head. Draco ran through the door without saying anything. Nico go up and yanked his knife out of the wall and returned to his seat.

Ron and Harry stared at Nico like he was crazy. "Nico, what if your knife hit him!"

Nico smirked. "Don't worry, this knife is charmed so that it only cuts potion ingredients. If my aim was off the knife would just fly through him." Nico hoped the lie would convince them. Thankfully, it did.

"Ok, but how did I not notice it before?" Harry asked.

Nico smiled. "That's for me to know." When the two of them weren't looking, Nico flipped it into the air. He was glad he did because as soon as it turned back to a Galleon, Hermione came in.

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, I didn't touch them. Thanks for telling us. Now if you would please leave so we could change? We will see you later."

The three of them changed quickly. Ron's robes were a little short. You cold see his shoes. A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." Nico fingered his ring. Harry looked nervous and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Nico and Harry heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?" Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

"C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice. Nico guessed he didn't find his toad.

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!" The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take.

Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. Nico thought it was one of the most beautiful places in the world.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore.

Nico paled. "Boats?" Nico's voice shook.

"It will be ok. We just have this little lake." Harry said.

Ron noticed how pale Nico was. "What's wrong?"

Harry answered for him. "Nico doesn't like the ocean." Nico was forced into a different boat from Harry and Ron. Nico didn't pay attention to who he shared a boat with, he was too busy griping the sides of the boat.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat of his own. "Right then - FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles. Nico jumped out of the boat, putting as much distance between him and the water.

"Oi, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Nico was glad Neville found his toad. They then clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door. "Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

**Yea! Chapters done. I pasted some of this from the book so thank you JK Rowling for making such an awesome book!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Once again, thank you, JK Rowling for making Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 9: The Sorting Hat**

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Nico believed she was someone he wanted to stay on her good side. "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall down the hall. Nico heard voices from a door on the right. _The rest of the school must already be there,_ Nico thought. At first, Nico thought Professor McGonagall would take them to the hall where all the other students were, but they were led into a small room instead. They crowded into the room, a little to close for comfort for Nico. They all looked around nervously. Nico fingered his Galleon nervously, not sure if he would need to fight.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts.

"You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points.

"At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry attempted to flatten his hair as Nico shifted from foot to foot nervously.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." She left the chamber.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Nico asked Ron.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

Nico swallowed nervously. A test? He was glad he had been practicing with his knife. He just hoped that if he really did need to fight a troll, he would be ready.

Nico looked around and saw everyone was terrified. No one was talking except Hermione, who was talking to anyone and everyone about what spells she might need. Nico glanced at the door, waiting for Professor McGonagall to take them in front of the whole school, doing who knows what to decide which house to be in.

Then something happened that made him jump about a foot in the air - several people behind him screamed.

"What the -?" Harry muttered.

He gasped. So did the people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?"

Nico had a mixture of feelings, amazement, shock, and anger that these people had cheated death, to scared to move on.

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years. Nico somehow knew his name: Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, also known as Nearly Headless Nick. Died when someone tried to cut off his head but failed to do it right.

Nobody answered.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me." Nico, clutching his Galleon in his hand, followed along with all of the other first years. They walked through the doors and into the Great Hall.

Nico had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Nico saw Harry look upward, most likely to avoid all the staring eyes. He heard Hermione whisper, "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."

Nico looked up at the stars and felt a pang of sadness. He scanned the stars until he found what he was looking for. A constellation in the shape of a young girl, racing across the sky, hunting for her pray. **(I know this is the past before Zöe died but just go with it.) **Nico's heart was heavy with sadness. Nico bowed his head in respect. He wasn't sure why but it felt right.

When Nico looked up again, he saw a four legged stool with a hat on top in front of the first years. The hat was frayed and old. Nico wondered what it was for.

Everyone else was looking at the hat. Nico noticed while the first years were looking at the hat in curiosity, while the older students were looking at it as if waiting for something. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll." Nico sighed in relief.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause - "HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Nico saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Nico could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.

"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. It seemed they weren't the most pleasant lot to Nico.

Nico tuned out most of the sorting. Ne noticed Hermione went into Gryffindor. Nico was a little shocked, he thought for sure she would go into Ravenclaw. He heard Ron groan. Neville also went into Gryffindor. Nico smiled. He had a feeling Neville would play a huge part in the future. Malfoy got his wish aswell. He was put in Slytherin almost right away.

After what seemed like ages, the moment Nico had been waiting for had arrived.

"Potter, Harry!" As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

"The Harry Potter?"

Nico rolled his eyes. This was already annoying. Right before the hat fell over Harry's eyes, Nico gave him a reassuring smile and Harry grinned his thanks. Nico sat there nervously, waiting to see where Harry would go. Nico noticed Harry was gripping the stool tightly. The whole hall seemed to hold its breath as everyone waited.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat yelled. Harry was met with the loudest cheers yet, Nico one of the loudest.

The twins were shouting "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Over and over excitedly.

Nico waited impatiently for his turn. He wondered why he was towards the end. If they were going in alphabetical order, shouldn't he be one of the first to get sorted? Even after Ron became a Gryffindor, Nico was still waiting his turn. Finally, after "Zabini, Blaise" got sorted into Slytherin, it was Nico's turn.** (I know it's in alphabetical order but just go with it.)**

"Di Angelo, Nico!" As Nico walked up to the hat, the strangest thing happened. All the ghosts shrieked in horror and rushed towards him. Everyone stared in shock as all the ghosts, including the Bloody Barron and Peeves, bowed to Nico. He stared in shock as they kept muttering apologies and begging him not to take them to his father. After a moment of silence, whispering broke out.

"Did you see that?"

"Why is the Bloody Barron so scared of that kid?"

"What would his father do to the ghosts?"

After a while, Nico couldn't take it anymore. "Fine! You can stay! I don't care!" The ghosts bowed even lower as they flew off, muttering their thanks. After the path was cleared, Nico sat down on the stool. The last thing Nico saw was everyone trying to get a good look at the boy who scared all the ghosts just by showing up. There was a moment of silence.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" Said the hat. Nico inwardly sighed. When the hat said it could see everything in their minds, it wasn't joking. "No I wasn't. Now let's take a look at those memories shall we?" Nico automatically put mental blocks up, covering all his memories. "Now don't do that! I can't sort you if I don't know a little about you." After a moments hesitation, Nico sighed and reliantly let the hat see his thoughts.

"Oh, I haven't seen one like you in years! Yes there are not very many of your kind who are also apart of the wizard world."

"What kind?" Nico asked it.

"Oh I see, someone removed your memories. Shame, you don't know who you are." Nico was very confused. Nico saw the time he protected Harry in the pub. "Ah yes, you're HIS child. That would usually land you in Slytherin."

"No!" Nico argued, "Don't judge me on my father."

"Fine, fine! Let's see if we can access some of your memories from your life before." Nico felt a weird itching in his head as the sorting hat dug through his memories. Nico gave a gasp of shock. Thousands of images flashed in front of him, hundreds of voices spoke to him at once. He tried to make out a few but it was impossible. He was able to make out one voice. It sounded like his own. One image stopped in front of him for a second, but it was long enough for Nico.

There stood a ten year old Nico, with tears streaming down his face. The same green eyed boy was standing in front of him. "It's your fault she's dead! You promised you would keep her safe!" The younger Nico cried out. Before Nico could see anymore, the image disappeared. The images seemed to rush past even faster but the sorting hat seemed to be able to see them just fine.

"AAAHHHHHH!" The hat screamed out loud. "SO MUCH DEATH! GRYFFINDOR GRYFFINDOR! AHHHH! GET HIM OFF ME!" Nico quickly took off the hat and set it on the stool before rushing over to the Gryffindor table to sit next to Harry. The whole hall was silent, everyone was staring at him.

The headmaster, who Nico recognized from Harry's Chocolate Frog card, stood up and smiled after eyeing Nico for a second. "Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Nico didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"Is he - a bit mad?" He heard Harry ask Percy, another one of Ron's brothers, uncertainly.

"Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?"

Nico's mouth watered. The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.

The Dursleys had never exactly _starved_ Harry and Nico, but he'd never been allowed to eat as much as he liked. Dudley had always taken anything that they really wanted, even if it made him sick. Nico piled his plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.

"That does look good," said Nick sadly yet carefully, watching Harry cut up his steak. Nick looked at Nico nervously.

"Can't you -?" Harry started.

Nico answered for Nick. "Nope. Once you're dead you're just a spirit. They can still eat but the taste needs to be very strong for them to get any flavor out of it." Nick nodded carefully, not wanting his head to fall off.

"I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you - you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy -" the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired boy interrupted.

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"

Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted. So, Nico answered for him. "He was beheaded for trying to help someone with a little - problem you could say - that went wrong. In the olden days, you could pay someone to cut your head clean off so you would die quickly. Nick; however, wasn't, so, because he wasn't rich or important, they hired someone who did a nasty job of it. Quite a slow and painful death." Everyone looked at Nico strangely.

"Quite right you are my lord." Nico didn't hear the 'my lord' comment at the end but quite a few others did.

"I still don't understand how you can be 'nearly headless'." Harry said after a moment of silence.

"Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly, just like Nico had said. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So - new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherin have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable - he's the Slytherin ghost."

Nico looked over and saw that the Bloody Barren was sitting next to Malfoy. Nico smiled evilly, noticing how uncomfortable Malfoy looked. "How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.

"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately. Even though Nico somehow knew how he got covered in blood, he decided not to share this info. He had scared everyone enough already.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jelly, rice pudding...

The conversation changed to families. Nico decided to tune them out and think about how he knew so much about death and what the little vision he had was about.

Nico was brought out of his thoughts briefly when Harry put a hand on his forehead. "Ouch!" Nico looked at him in concern.

"You ok?" He asked.

Harry nodded. "It's nothing." Nico nodded and went back to his thoughts, knowing that when Harry didn't want to talk about something, there was no way to change his mind.

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again, bringing Nico out of his thoughts. The hall fell silent.

"Ahem - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered, I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Nico noticed Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." A few laughed at this but Nico frowned. He had a feeling it was the truth.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"

And the school bellowed:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot."

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!" _Does he think we are horses? _Nico wondered.

The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Nico walked slowly beside Harry but only because he was so tired and full of food. He was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries.

They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet.

A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.

"Peeves" Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves - show yourself."

A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.

"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle, not noticing Nico. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"

He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.

"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.

Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.

"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."

At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress. Nico inwardly groaned. More pink.

"Password?" she said.

"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it - Neville needed a leg up - and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.

Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase - they were obviously in one of the towers - they found their beds at last: six four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. To tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and fell into bed.

"Great food, isn't it?" Ron muttered to Harry through the hangings. "Get off, Scabbers! He's chewing my sheets." Nico was to tired to even change his clothes. He just flopped onto his bead and closed currents. Nico glanced at the wall, expecting it to be bare. Instead, there were quite a few pictures hanging up.

There was one with an older Nico (which he found strange) with a boy and a girl on either side of him, smiling at the camera. The girl had short, choppy black hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a kind of tiara on her head and was dressed in punk clothes. On the other side of Nico was the green eyed boy. His sea green eyes sparkled with joy as his wind swept black hair covered his eyes a little. In the picture, Nico, for some reason, wasn't smiling.

In another picture was the green eyed boy and a girl with blonde hair and stormy grey eyes. They were both smiling but the girl looked like she had other things in her mind. They looked around 15 in the picture. The next picture was of Nico and Harry. Nico didn't remember ever having his picture taken but yet, it was there. There was him and Harry, smiling and leaning up against the snake cage in the zoo. The snake was right beside Harry as well. Nico couldn't even remember posing when they were at the zoo but he pushed the thought out of his mind as he turned to the last picture.

The last picture was easily Nico's favorite. It showed a four year old Nico, smiling a huge smile at the camera. There was a seven year old girl standing next to him, smiling at Nico. There was a man behind them, his hand on Nico's shoulder. Even though he was smiling on the outside, Nico could see a haunted look in his eyes. The man had his other arm around a beautiful woman. She looked at Nico's small form with laughter in her eyes. Anyone could tell just by looking at her that she loved her family very much. Nico smiled sadly as he touched the picture of his family. After starring at them for a while, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

**Hope you liked it!**


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Class Catastrophe**

The world was shaking. Nico kept his eyes shut tight. "What?" He croaked.

"Get up mate. We need to get breakfast." A voice said from his left.

"Go away." Nico groaned. The boy beside him chuckled. Nico smiled to himself as he heard the person leave. Nico wrapped the covers back around him. _That's weird,_ he thought at the sound of water running, _someone must be taking a shower. _He reasoned, too tired to think.

Just as Nico was falling back asleep, he heard someone walking back towards his bed. The next thing he knew, he was all wet and freezing. He sat up, opining his eyes. "Harry!" He yelled at his laughing friend. He grumbled as he climbed out of bed. All his roommates were laughing.

"I am a child of the night, doomed to room with morning people." Nico grumbled loudly **(yea! DP quote! Yes, I'm obsessed. Don't judge.)**. That just made everyone laugh harder. Even Neville was chuckling. He slammed the bathroom door, grumbling while he got dressed and put on his robes.

He walked back out and saw that his roommates were still giggling. He glared at them and they stopped laughing but they continued to smile.

Whispers followed Harry and Nico the whole way to the Great Hall.

"There, look."

"Where?"

"Next to the tall kid with the red hair."

"Wearing the glasses?"

"Did you see his face?"

"Did you see his scar?"

They also talked about Nico, but not as much as Harry.

"See that creepy kid?"

"He scared the ghosts?"

"Can't blame them, anyone in their right mind would be scared of him."

Nico clenched his fists. The shadows must have reacted because Harry put a hand on his shoulder. "Relax. If they find out about your powers who knows what will happen." Nico nodded and took deep breaths.

Both boys found it very annoying when everyone stared at them. They were trying to get to class and didn't want to be late. Well, _Harry_ didn't want to be late. Nico couldn't care less. There were hundreds of weird staircases at Hogwarts which made finding their way to class even harder, which was saying something when the school was a huge _castle_.

There were wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot.

Nico was shocked when he first found out that the portraits could move and talk. He was to tired the night before to notice. The ghosts were actually a huge help. While all they did was float through doors and scare other students, every ghost was happy to lead Nico, Harry and Ron in the right direction. Everyone was quite surprised when they found out Nico was able to touch the ghosts. Even Nico was shocked. Yet, the more he thought about it, the more it just made his head hurt.

Peeves was even worse than getting lost. Even though he didn't prank Nico, he still wouldn't listen to him. Although he was slightly upset by this, he learned to live with it.

However, the caretaker, Argus Filch, was ten times worse than Peeves. The three boys managed to get on his bad side almost right away. When Nico first met Peeves, he asked for directions, expecting him to help like all the other ghosts did. However, Peeves directed them to a locked door on the third floor, which just so happened to be the forbidden door. Although Nico was aggravated with Peeves, he was also thankful he wasn't like the others. It was slightly annoying when all the ghosts would bow to him and call him 'Master' or 'Lord'.

Filch also had an ugly cat named Mrs. Norris, which often ran to get Filch whenever she saw someone doing something wrong. Sadly, Filch knew all the secret passage ways better then anyone, except the Weasley twins and Nico himself. Nico was able to sense all the secret passage ways right away. He didn't know how to explain it.

Nico, for once in his life, was excited about his classes. He later discovered; however, that he was failing terribly. While he was good at Astronomy, he was horrible at all the others. Nico discovered that he knew almost all the constellations by heart as well as the stories behind them. While everyone else believed that was all they were, stories, Nico had a feeling they actually happened.

Herbology was taught by a very kind witch. However, even though he liked the teacher, Herbology was Nico's least favorite subject. As soon as he got within five feet of them, all the plants around him would die.

When Nico walked into History of Magic, Nico was very shocked to find out it was thought by Professor Binns, a ghost. While the rumor was that the way he died was that he simply left his body was quite popular, Nico knew what had really happened. It was impossible for someone just to get up and leave their body. What really happened was someone poisoned his food the dinner before. When he fell asleep, the poisen took affect. While it was true he did leave his body without knowing, it was because he didn't realize he was dead.

When the ghost was taking roll call, the funniest thing happened. When Professor Binns came across Nico's name, he somehow managed to pale. Incredibly, he tripped over his desk. For the whole lesson Professor Binns would beg a laughing Nico for forgiveness.

Something very similar happened to Harry in Charms. When Professor Flitwick called out Harry's name, he squealed in excitement and tumbled off the stack of books he was standing on. Thankfully, Nico did well in Charms. He wasn't top of his class but he was close. Nico's favorite class was Transfiguration. Even though McGonagall was hard on them, she warmed up to Nico. She gave a long speech which Nico ignored then turned her desk into a pig. Sadly, they wouldn't be able to do that until 6th year. She gave them matches to turn into needles. At first, Nico was a bit rough and his first match exploded. However, he was able to do the transformation on his fourth try.

Everyone (except for Nico) had been looking forward to Defense Against the Dark Arts. According to Ron, Nico WAS the Dark Arts. To Nico's relief, the teacher was nothing but a big joke. The classroom smelled of garlic. Everyone said that it was to keep the 'vampires' away. Nico had another theory. There was a hint of Dark Magic. Very hard to sense but it was there.

Nico also noticed this smell that seemed to come from the turban. When he mentioned this to Harry, all his friend said was, "Maybe he puts garlic in it so he will be safe wherever he goes." Nico really doubted this. For one thing, the Dark Magic seemed to be stronger around the turban. Somehow, Nico also noticed the air smelt of decaying flesh that seemed to follow Quirrell wherever he went.

Thankfully, Harry and Nico weren't that far behind the rest of the class. It seemed as though no one else knew much magic either.

After finally managing to get to the Great Hall without getting lost, Harry asked Ron what class they had next. "Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them - we'll be able to see if it's true."

"Wish McGonagall favored us," said Harry. Nico silently agreed. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework on the first day.

Just then, the mail arrived. Nico had gotten used to this by now, but it had given him a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.

Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far and Tenebris only showed up every once and a while. This morning, however, Hedwig fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Harry's plate. Harry tore it open at once. Nico looked over at the letter. It was written in very messy handwriting so it gave him a head ache just to look at it. Harry turned it around and wrote something down before giving it back to Hedwig.

Nico had a feeling that Snape hated Harry. He was a little nicer to Nico, but not by much.

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls. Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and, also like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.

"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity."

Nico clenched his fists. This class was going to be very stressful for him. He could tell right away. Nico heard Malfoy and his body guards laughing and glared at them. Harry seemed to have a staring contest with the professor.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

Nico was fuming and Ron and Harry exchanged looks. Hermione looked like she was ready to prove that she wasn't a dunderhead.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Nico clenched his fists. He had heard some if the sixth years talking about it and they had just finished studying it the past year.

Hermione's hand had shot into the air. Nico couldn't help but be impressed.

"I don't know, sir," said Harry.

Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything."

He ignored Hermione's hand.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" Nico had a feeling they wouldn't learn that for a while either.

Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Nico could tell Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. He glared at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter.

"I don't know, sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"

Nico couldn't take it anymore. "Excuse me sir but I skimmed through our Potions book a while ago and it never brought up what a bezoar is but if you must know it is a stone that is found in the stomach of a goat." Everyone stared at Nico in shock.

Snape sneered. "It wasn't your question to answer Mr. di Angelo. Don't tell me how to teach my class. Fifteen points from Gryffindor."

Snape turned back to Harry. "What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" He once again ignored Hermione.

"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus's eye, and Seamus winked. Snape, however, was not pleased.

"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?" Nico lost his temper again. It took all his willpower not to send the shadows at the git.

"Oh I don't know Professor. Maybe because you didn't tell us to?" Snape turned at Nico and glared. Many students shivered but Nico met Snape's glare with one of his own. The Potion Master turned away.

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment as everyone turned back to their papers. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter. di Angelo, you have detention this weekend."

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like.

He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.

"You - Potter - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills?"

Nico stood up in his seat. "It's not his fault!" He yelled. All the shadows shifted towards the boy.

Snape wrote something down on a slip of paper. "Take this to your head of house." Nico stood up and snatched the note away, glaring at the Professor. Some Slytherins were smirking at him so he glared at them. All of them shivered and looked away, as did a few Gryffindors. Nico stormed up to the door and yanked it open. He glared at Snape some more and saw him shiver. Nico smirked happily as he slammed the door shut behind him.

He stormed into the Transfiguration class and handed the note to Professor McGonagall. The Professor read it over and took away ten points for talking back to a teacher and gave him another detention. Nico didn't even bother to go to all the other classes. He just sat in his dorm, staring at the pictures of his family.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Old and New Friends**

After a while, Malfoy seemed to get over his fear of Nico. It didn't take the brat long to notice that he wouldn't be able to use his powers at Hogwarts. Thankfully, Gryffindor and Slytherin only shared Potions so they didn't have to put up with Malfoy too much.

Nico sleepily walked down the staircase that led up to his dorm. He really wished he could sleep in more. Nico noticed most of the Gryffindors were looking at a sheet of paper. He also noticed that no one seemed happy about it. Nico shoved his way through the crowd. Harry and Ron must have come down a little before him as they were now by his side.

Nico squinted at the sheet but it looked like gibberish. Harry groaned beside him. "What's wrong?" Nico asked him.

"We have flying lessons with Slytherin." Nico paled. FLYING lessons?! Great now Malfoy will know about his fear of heights. Or, at least, that's what he would call it. Nico had no problem with heights, it was being blasted with lightning and dying that he was scared about. Nico could swear he heard a faint rumble of thunder - as if warning him that if he flew, he would die.

The three friends walked to the Great Hall. "Typical," Harry grumbled. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."

"You won't make a fool of yourself," Ron said kindly. "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on and on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."

Nico took a moment to silently thank Ron. Usually, Nico was the one who comforted Harry but he was to busy freaking out to do it himself.

Everyone but him seemed to be excited about learning how to fly. Nico wondered how anyone could be excited about flying a hundred feet in the air, relying on a twig to hold you up.

Everyone from wizarding families talked about a sport called Quidditch. Nico was actually really excited to see the first match. From what he had heard, it sounded very exciting, though he would never play it himself. Although he still didn't understand it completely, he was looking out for the first game.

_At least,_ Nico thought, _some people here had a brain._ Hermione and Neville both told him constantly about how nervous they were. Nico sighed. That was another one of his problems. He enjoyed spending most of his time with Hermione and Neville but he couldn't just abandon Harry. He had noticed that while Hermione had come on strong, all she was trying to do was make friends. She had conformed this when she told him that none of the Muggle children had really been her friend. They often called her bossy and a know-it-all.

Nico wasn't that close with Neville, though. They were complete opposites. Nico was a little creepy and no one but his friends talked to him while everyone was constantly teasing and laughing at Neville. Nico was sneaky and silent and Neville was clumsy and awkward. Despite their differences, Nico stood up for his friend whenever he was bullied.

The problem was that no matter how hard he tried, Ron and Harry just wouldn't let Hermione and Neville hang out with them. While it was true that the two would let Neville in to their conversations and were kind to him, it was obvious Hermione had gotten on their bad side. Nico didn't want to leave his new friends but he couldn't abandon his best friend either.

Nico and Ron didn't get along well at first but, after giving him another chance, he found out Ron was a pretty good guy and cared about Harry. Nico knew he could trust him. Ron also warmed up to Nico as well. He was still a little creeped out though.

Nico sat down next to Harry and across from Hermione and Neville. While Harry had gotten a letter from Hagrid a while ago, Tenebris hadn't brought Nico anything.

Nico poked at his food quietly, keeping to himself as everyone else chatted happily with their friends. Nico sighed. Making friends seemed harder than it should have been. Just because he was usually a loner didn't mean he enjoyed it. Turns out, a lot of people had noticed the shadows shifting during Potions and rumors had spread fairly quickly. While some were close to the truth, some were just ridiculous.

Nico sighed again. Even in the world of witches and wizards he was the odd one out.

He was driven out of his thoughts when the mail arrived. He looked up and, to his amazement, saw Tenebris. That was shocking enough as Tenebris, like his owner, was a loner and spent most of his free time sleeping before flying off alone at night. What was even more shocking was he had a package.

No one paid the bird much attention until he landed in front of Nico. The whole hall seemed to quiet down as they stared at the two. Dumbledores eyes sparkled at Nico's confusion, though they had a look of curiosity as well. Tenebris dropped a letter on Nico's lap and hopped onto his shoulder.

With a glance at the package on the table, Nico ripped open the letter. He was shocked to find he could read it easily.

_Dear Nico,_

_I am sorry I haven't written sooner. Things are much harder here without your help. The ghosts of Hogwarts have informed me of the little episode you had the other day_ (cue a blush from Nico). _Try to keep your powers under control. Being my son-_

Here Nico dropped the letter in shock. His-his father had _written_ to him? After six years he had finally written to him? Nico felt a mixture of emotions. Happiness, anger, hurt, excitement, confusion, joy. He couldn't believe it. This was an even bigger shock then when he found out he was a wizard. His father was _alive_? With shaky hands, Nico picked up the note and read on.

_Being my son comes with difficulties, and I am truly sorry for that. Don't let it get to you. Stick with that boy, Harry. He is a true friend. I wish I could have been there with you as you grew up but your uncle would not allow it. I have been watching you and want you to know I am very proud. I have given you some of your old clothes. I hope you enjoy them. Also, I feel danger is approaching you. Just know that when the time comes, twist your skull ring. You will know what to do. Make me proud, son._

_Your Father_

Before Nico could do anything, the letter was ripped from his hands. Nico tensed and looked up at the person who stole his only connection to his father. It was Malfoy.

"You can actually read this?" He sneered.

Nico just gave him a blank look. "You can't read it?"

Malfoy shook his head. "Who would write to you anyway much less write in a language no one understands." Nico clenched his fists.

"Give it back Malfoy."

The blonde boy smiled evilly. "Actually, I think I'll hold on to it for a while. Try to decode it."

In a flash, Nico was on top of Malfoy. He wanted to pull out his knife and gut the git but knew he couldn't. Nico wrestled the note from his grip. McGonagall was there before he knew it, pulling the two boys apart. "That is enough. Mr. Malfoy, next time you should mind your own business. And Mr. di Angelo, I would expect more from one of my lions." Nico grumbled some not so nice words and grabbed his package, storming up to his dorm.

Nico grumbled the password and slammed the door to his dorm shut. He walked over to his bed and smoothed out the letter. His father had actually written to him. He was keeping an eye on him as well. Nico read the letter over and over, hungry for more. _Six years_. Six _years_ and he had finally gotten a letter.

Nico flipped the paper over. To his surprise, there was another sentence on the back.

_Don't worry about not remembering your life from before; it will all make sense at the right time._

Nico taped the letter up with the pictures on his wall, next to the picture of his family. Satisfied with his work, he turned to the package. With shaking fingers, he ripped it open. Inside, was three black jeans with rips in them and a chain attached, five black shirts with several different skull designs, and a jacket. Nico quickly changed into the more comfortable clothing, making sure to hide them with his robes, and ran down the stairs to join Harry and Ron for Flying Lessons.

Nico stood with the rest of the class with a broom on the ground. It was sunny out and the wind was almost still, perfect flying conditions. That didn't reassure Nico at all though. He eyed his broom. It had twigs sticking up at all different angles and seemed really really old.

Madam Hooch, the teacher, stared at them with her yellow eyes. "All right, hold your right hand up over the broom and say, up!" There was a chorus of "Up!"s. Harry's broom shot up into his hand, as did Malfoy. Ron's sprang up and hit him in the face. Nico couldn't help but laugh. **(Love that part in the movie)** Hermione's broom was rolling on the ground while Neville's didn't move at all.

Nico swallowed his fear and put his hand over the flying death trap. "Up!" He shouted. To his surprise, it leapt up into his hand right away. After everyone had their brooms, Madam Hooch went around, showing them how to hold their brooms correctly. Nico couldn't help but smirk when she told Malfoy he had been doing it wrong for years.

"All right, now put your leg over your broom and when I blow my whistle, kick off the ground. Hard." Before the whistle even touched her lips, Neville shot off the ground. Nico watched helplessly as his friend rose higher and higher into the air, his face white with fear. Neville fell off his broom and landed with a loud crack. Nico winced in sympathy.

Madam Hooch ran over to Neville. Nico heard her mutter that he had a broken wrist. Neville headed off to the hospital wing with Madam Hooch. "If I find out anyone goes up into the air while I'm gone you will be out of here before you can say Quidditch!"

As soon as Madam Hooch and Neville were gone, Malfoy burst out laughing. "Did you see his face?" He gasped out. Some other Slytherins burst out laughing as well.

"Shut up Malfoy!" Someone shouted.

"Oh Parvati, I didn't know you had a thing for Longbottom!" A pug faced Slytherin girl called out. Nico remembered her name was Pansy.

"Maybe you should shut your face Malfoy before I bring out my knife again. I'm sure you remember your close encounter? I've been practicing and won't miss this time." Malfoy paled but tried to sneer.

"You wouldn't. Not with other people here. Everyone already thinks you're a freak."

Nico shut his eyes. _It doesn't matter what they think. Dad is proud. That's all that matters._ Nico managed to smirk. "You think I really care what people think?"

Malfoy ignored him and grabbed something in the dirt. "Oh look, it's that stupid thing Longbottom's grandmother gave him!"

"Give it here Malfoy." Harry stepped forward.

"Come and get it Potter." Malfoy hopped onto his broom and soared into the air.

"Oh come on Malfoy, don't act so childish!" Nico called up.

The young Slytherin smirked. "Oh yeah? If you're so tough then come on up here di Angelo." Nico froze. He was trapped. If he stayed on the safe, firm ground, Malfoy would know he was scared. If he flew up, he was almost certain he would get struck by lightning.

As if some super natural force was listening, the sky darkened and lightning flashed across the sky in the distance. Harry seemed to know what Nico was thinking. Harry griped his broom and mounted it. "No Harry don't! You'll get expelled!" Hermione shouted. Harry ignored her. Nico sent Harry a grateful look before he shot up into the air. Ron and Nico cheered. Harry was a natural.

Nico watched as the two boys exchanged a few words that only they could hear. Then, suddenly, without warning, Malfoy tossed the glass ball. Harry dove for it, 20 feet away from the ground, 15, 10, 8, 5. Harry pulled up at the last second, the glass ball in his hand.

All the Gryffindors rushed to congratulate Harry. Nico just stood there, open mouthed, staring at his best friend. A Slytherin girl walked up to him. "You trying to catch flies di Angelo?" She asked. Nico blushed and quickly closed his mouth. The girl smirked before walking off.

Nico stared at her as she walked away. She seemed... different. There was no other way to put it. She seemed kinder then all the other Slytherins. Like she _actually_ had a heart. Nico shook his head. He turned back just in time to see Professor McGonagall was marching up to Harry. "HARRY POTTER!"

_Ouch, busted,_ Nico thought. "Never in all my time at Hogwarts - how _dare_ you! You could have broken your _neck_!"

"It wasn't his fault Professor-"

"Be quiet Miss Patil."

"But Malfoy-"

"That's _enough_ Mr. Weasley. Potter follow me." Nico watched helplessly as his friend was pulled away. Malfoy smirked in victory. By the time Madam Hooch got back, class was dismissed.

On his way to the Great Hall, someone pulled him to the side. It was the Slytherin girl from before. Her black hair hung in her face. Her icy blue eyes stared at him. "What do you want?" Nico said a bit harshly. Her blue eyes hardened a little at his words.

She took a shaky breath, as if she was nervous. The girl bit her lip for a second. "I just wanted to say that was really brave what you did back there. Standing up to Malfoy like that. Anyone who does that is ok in my books." Nico just nodded, unable to form a sentence, more than a little shocked that a Slytherin was complementing him.

The girl held out her hand. "The names Kiersten."

"Nico di Angelo." He said shaking her hand.

Kiersten nodded. "Well maybe we can hang out sometime. **(No not a date)** You seem ok."

"Oh, um, yeah. Sure. Well I gotta go find Harry. See you around I guess..." Nico replied awkwardly. She nodded and walked away.

He watched silently as her small form disappeared into the wave of students. Her blue eyes had seemed to be trying to pull out his every secret._ (_**AN No, Nico does not have a crush on Kiersten... Yet *enter evil smirking face*)**

Nico went to find Ron and Harry. He walked into the Great Hall in a daze. He spotted the two boys talking at their usual spot at the Gryffindor table. As he headed over to his two friends, he decided he shouldn't tell them about Kiersten. Ron made his opinion of Slytherins very clear. Harry wasn't that fond of them either.

As soon as Nico sat down, Harry told them what Professor McGonagall had said. Ron was in shock but Nico wasn't that surprised. "Seeker! No way! You must be the youngest seeker in-"

"A century." Harry answered. "Wood told me."

Nico shrugged. "Did you see the way he flew? I'm not surprised he's the seeker." Harry blushed at the complement.

"It was no big deal." Harry muttered.

"No big deal! Mate, you flew up at least 20 feet in the air then dove down and pulled up at the last second!" Nico told him, using large gestures with his hands for emphasis.

Harry blushed even more. "You can't tell anyone though. Wood wants to keep it a secret." Nico and Ron nodded.

Just then Malfoy came over again. Nico groaned and put his head down on the table with a loud thump. "Nico? What is it?" Ron asked.

"Malfoy just can't take a hint." He mumbled.

"Well Potter enjoying your last meal?" He sneered.

"Go away Malfoy." Nico grumbled, head still on the table.

"What's wrong di Angelo? I saw how nervous you were at flying lessons. You to scared to face me now?"

"Maybe I just ate and prefer to keep my food down." He replied.

Nico turned and looked at the pale boy. He smirked at Malfoy's pink face as he tried to sneer. "I don't have time for losers like you di Angelo." He said turning to Harry.

"Oh so I'm a loser now? What does that make you then? Didn't this _loser_ scare you in the robe shop? Didn't this _loser_ nearly make you wet your pants on the train? I know you act all big and strong but your eyes don't lie. Your scared of me Draco Malfoy so I would watch it if I were you. Like I said before, I've been practicing with my knife and next time, I won't miss." Harry, Ron and Malfoy were staring at him in shock while Crabbe and Goyle were trying to figure out what he just said.

"I don't have time for this." He stood up and shoved past Malfoy. Everyone stared at Nico as he left. A few Gryffindors looked at him with respect, obviously having heard what he said. He headed up to the Gryffindor common room. He sensed someone following him so he hid in the shadows. Thankfully, they gave up and left.

Once in his dorm, Nico shed his cloak and sat on his bed, twirling his black wand between his fingers as he waited for Harry and Ron. Sure enough, his two friends barged in. "I can't believe that guy!" Ron exploded. "'I'll take you on anytime on my own. Tonight if you want, wizards duel.'" Ron continued to rant in a terrible impression of Malfoy.

Harry sighed. "Ron calm down. It's fine; he's just being a git again."

"So a wizards duel." Nico joined into the conversation. Ron and Harry jumped in surprise.

"Bloody hell mate. Stop doing that." Ron muttered. Nico smirked.

"Pay attention more. Anyway, how'd you feel about one more joining your team?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Sure, why not. We could use your help to sneak out." Ron shrugged in agreement.

Nico smiled. "When is this 'wizard duel' anyway?" He asked.

"Midnight." Nico nodded.

Nico got up and stretched. "Well I'm going to practice with my knife. Don't want to get rusty." Harry eyed Nico curiously.

"Where did you get the clothes?" He asked. Nico looked down and noticed he was wearing the clothes his dad sent him. Nico silently cursed himself.

"Um, from the package that arrived in the mail for me today." Harry nodded and let him leave.

Sticking to the shadows, Nico made his way outside. He headed towards the lake to practice. The lake still made him uncomfortable, but it was away from other people. After checking to make sure he was alone, he pulled out his knife.

The black blade gleamed in the late afternoon sun. Nico smiled lightly at the familiar weight of the knife. He quickly shed his jacket and started practicing. He slashed, stabbed and attacked, his moves like a complicated dance. Sweat lined his brow as the warm sun beat down on him. Time flew by and before he knew it, it was dark out. Nico panted as he sat down, a tree supporting his back. He took a sip of the water he brought with him. He was really good with a knife but it just didn't feel right.

After a few minutes, he started practicing again. After about three hours of practice total, Nico was ready to head in. He wiped the sweat off his face and hid his knife. He picked up his jacket and grabbed his now empty water bottle. Once inside Hogwarts, Nico realized how late it actually was. It was past curfew and he had missed dinner. Sticking to the shadows, Nico made his way to the kitchens. He tickled the pear and the doorway was opened.

A few dozen house elves rushed forward to serve him. He ordered a simple PB&amp;J and sat down at one of the tables, only to realize he wasn't the only one who had wanted a late night snack. Nico sighed as the Weasley twins came over. He just couldn't get some alone time could he?

"Nico!" Fred started. "Why are you-"

"All sweaty?" Nico sighed and dropped his head to the table for the second time that day.

"Kill me now." Came his muffled voice. The twins pretended to be heartbroken.

"But Nikki!" Nico scowled at their nick name for him. "Don't you love-"

"Our company?"

"Don't call me Nikki." He growled. The twins smiled at his annoyance. "And if you must know I was hiding from annoying people like you."

George examined him. "But that-"

"Doesn't explain why-"

"You're sweaty."

Nico sighed loudly in annoyance. "Why do you care so much! I was training! Practicing with my knife so I can skin annoying people like you!" The twins held up their hands in defeat. Just then, a house elf brought him his food. "Now if you don't mind I would like to eat in peace."

"Of course." George replied.

"You won't even know we're here." Finished Fred.

Nico should have known silence wouldn't last long with the Weasley twins. He was only half way done with his sandwich when Fred spoke again.

"So Nikki," Nico scowled once again. "Who's your little girlfriend?" Nico was so shocked he started chocking on his PB&amp;J. George started thumping him on the back.

"Easy mate. You need to chew the food before swallowing it."

Nico shoved him away. "Don't touch me."

"See Forge? I told you someone could melt Nikki's cold heart."

The other twin nodded in agreement. "Who would have thought our little Nikki would grow up so fast! Aren't you proud Gred?"

"And a Slytherin girl none the less." Nico blushed.

"She's not my girlfriend. I just met her today."

"And what is this little miracle workers name?"

Nico flushed scarlet. "Kiersten." He mumbled into his sandwich. The Weasley twins beamed.

"Ah! Kiersty-"

"And Nikki! How romantic!" Fred gushed.

"You know Fred, I think we should tell Harry and our dear brother."

Nico glared at them. "Not one word. You say anything and you will meet the end of my knife. You know how Ron and Harry feel about Slytherins." Nico finished his sandwich and put his jacket back on while the house elves picked up his plate. Nico was headed out the door by the time he heard the Weasley's response.

"Ah, a forbidden love!" Fred started.

"A Gryffindor and a Slytherin. It seems here we have our own Romeo and Juliet, don't we Fred."

"Shut up." Nico grumbled.

Fred stood up and waved. "Goodbye Romeo! Tell the pretty lady I said hello!" With that, a red faced Nico left the kitchens.

A still scarlet Nico entered the Gryffindor Common room. When he walked in, Nico noticed Ron and Harry were discussing the wizards duel. Harry looked up, having heard him come in. "Hey Nico. How'd training go?"

"Ron, I hate your brothers." Was all he said. "Wake me up when it's time to go." He grumbled, heading up the stairs. Ron and Harry exchanged confused looks. Nico collapsed in his bed and fell asleep.

What felt like seconds later, Harry was shaking him awake. "Come on mate. It's fifteen minutes to midnight. We should go." Nico groaned but got up. He stretched and realized he was still in the clothes his dad sent him.

"Let's go." Was all he said. They headed downstairs quietly. Everyone was asleep except-

"I really hoped you wouldn't do this Harry." It was Hermione. She was standing with her arms akimbo.

Rongroaned. "Just go to bed! We don't have time for this!" Hermione stuck her nose up in the air. Uh oh. Nico knew that look. Hermione wouldn't be backing down.

Ron headed out of the common room with Harry following close behind. Hermione chased after them, hissing like a snake. Nico sighed and followed his three friends. The Fat Lady closed behind them, but she wasn't there.

"Oh no! Now what am I going to do!" Hermione panicked.

"Not our problem." Ron shot back. Hermione was ranting to Ron and Harry seemed worried. Nico sighed.

"Just come with us Hermione." Hermione beamed at him while Ron glared. "Come on, let's go. Stick to the shadows." Nico whispered. The three followed him down the corridor, the darkness wrapped around them like a blanket.

Nico suddenly stopped, causing Harry to run into him. "Someone's here." Nico whispered. "I'm going to check it out. Stay here." Nico crept toward the lump on the floor, knife ready. When he saw who it was, he sighed in relief and quickly hid his knife. "It's ok guys. It's just Neville."

At the sound of his name, the boy woke up. "What are you doing here Neville?" Ron asked.

"How's your arm?" Harry said. As Neville talked to the others, Nico wandered ahead.

"Come on guys." He whispered back to them. Before he knew it, their group of three had become a group of five.

After quite a bit of sneaking around, they made it to the room where they would have the duel. "Malfoy's not here yet." Nico announced.

"Maybe he chickened out." Ron suggested. Nico shook his head.

"That's not like him." Nico's eyes widened in surprise. "Hide! Someone's coming." Harry led them into another room.

"Search my precious, they should be here somewhere." Came a voice outside.

"Filch. Malfoy tricked you." Hermione whispered. Neville whimpered beside Nico.

"Well thank you for that Hermione. Now how about you help us find a way out!" Nico whispered back.

"Just run!" Harry replied.

They dashed down the hall before stoping in front do a door. Nico could sense something familiar behind the door but ignored it. "I told you." Hermione panted. "I told you you shouldn't have come!" Nico rolled his eyes. They were so out of shape. Nico was about to reply when they heard Filch again.

"Quick! In here!" Harry pointed at the door. Ron tried to open it but failed.

"That's it! We're done! Doomed!"

"Oh move over!" Hermione shoved towards the door and grabbed Harry's wand. She muttered a spell Nico didn't hear and the door opened with a click.

They all filed into the room and closed the door behind them. They all sighed in relief when they heard Filch leave. Neville whimpered again and started pulling on Harry's sleeve. "_What?" _Harry hissed. After a second or two, Harry spoke again. "Uh, guys, you might want to see this." They all turned around.

Nico froze. Standing before him was a giant three headed dog. Each head had fangs the size of Nico, it's six dark eyes stared at them. Drool dripped off its lips. The others screamed and ran out but Nico didn't move. His eyes quickly flickered around the room, spotting a trapdoor under the dogs giant paw. The dog continued to growl at him. "Cerberus?" Nico whispered. The dog eyed him curiously. "Is that you?" Nico felt white hot pain behind his eyes as he struggled to remember but pushed it aside. "What are you doing here?" The dog stopped growling. It's ears flattened down in shame. It was only a _puppy_.

Before he could do anything, Harry came back and pulled him out. Nico was about to object but Harry pulled him along. They caught up to the others quickly, just in time for Neville to trip over a suit of armor. They dashed to the common room and collapsed into the chairs. "Never again." Ron muttered. Harry nodded in agreement. Poor Neville looked like he would never speak again. Hermione just marched up the stairs to her dorm.

"Well I hope you're happy. You could have gotten us all killed! Or worse, expelled." Nico couldn't help but wonder how that worked but didn't care enough to ask. He stood up as well.

"I'm going to bed. Night." So, Nico left Harry, Ron, and Hermione arguing again.

Nico eyed the pictures on the wall again before climbing into bed. That dog was connected to his past somehow. And he was going to find out.

**Yea! Nico is coming close to discovering his past! Also, the way you pronounce Kiersten is K-EAR-stin. So yeah. Please vote, comment ect.**


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